


Deny Me, Lie to Me

by Ritsy



Category: Shingeki no Kyojin | Attack on Titan
Genre: Adultery, Alternate Universe - Modern Setting, Alternate Universe - Rock Band, Angst, Attempt at Humor, Band Fic, Dick Jokes, Humor, Lawyer Eren Yeager, M/M, No Name, No Name Levi (Shingeki no Kyojin), Secret Relationship, Switch Eren Yeager, Switch Levi (Shingeki no Kyojin), Switching
Language: English
Status: In-Progress
Published: 2018-10-10
Updated: 2019-05-17
Packaged: 2019-07-29 01:01:14
Rating: Explicit
Warnings: Creator Chose Not To Use Archive Warnings
Chapters: 26
Words: 166,018
Publisher: archiveofourown.org
Story URL: https://archiveofourown.org/works/16253429
Author URL: https://archiveofourown.org/users/Ritsy/pseuds/Ritsy
Summary: Levi Ackerman is the frontman for the hit band No Name, operating under the pseudonym "L". His bandmates, Hange and Miche, all enjoy their private lives, and keep their identities under wraps; the fact that the mysterious secrecy boosts their sales is just an added bonus. On a fateful night in a twisted chain of events, Levi finds himself arrested and in need of a lawyer.Enter Eren Jaeger, young, successful, and famous celebrity lawyer. The man is the definition of perfection; charitable, kind, and in possession of sarcastic wit. He has loving, successful (if a tad extremely conservative) parents, a beautiful actress as a girlfriend, and a profitable career.The problem? Eren is straight as an arrow, and Levi is thirsty for that ass. Everything, however, is not as it seems, and the entire situation becomes convoluted at a rapid pace. They're on a rollercoaster, and the tracks break off into nothingness at the end of the ride. Can they survive the whirlwind that is each other?





	1. Roadhead Gone Wrong

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> Okay, literally this was supposed to be a oneshot, and I lost control. So now we're doing a multi-chaptered fic. How many? Who fucking knows. I sure don't. This entire fucking work was inspired by one song, which will indeed be featured in this fic at some point. When that time comes, the song will be revealed. Hopefully you all won't die from curiosity (I promise it's worth the wait).
> 
> I really hope you guys enjoy this first chapter, because this is all I could think about until I finally sat down to start writing it. It's a pretty short chapter, and if I'm honest I don't know how long or detailed these are going to be as a whole. And I'll be balancing working on this and my Haikyuu fic (which is certainly more in depth and longer). So please enjoy while I stop rambling.

**_Present Day_ **

_"And now, we bring to you the single that's been heating up the airwaves all week since it's release,—_ _"_  the radio shut off abruptly at the click of a button before the DJ could continue their statement, or even think of playing the dreaded song, leaving the room in a heavy silence.

Ultramarine irises filled with a rage-fueled fire glared hatefully at the little stereo, as if daring it to spontaneously combust and take Eren's misery with it. He had never detested the radio before  _he_  happened; actually, he used to love having it on in the background. Before  _him,_  the youthful lawyer would dutifully fulfill his work, humming along to whatever new songs hit the airwaves. Now, though, Eren couldn't listen to a single fucking station without this one fucking song playing nearly every hour. It wasn't a bad song—it was the exact opposite—but it boiled down to the fact that the song was blatantly about him that he couldn't even bring himself to listen to it. It made him seethe with unfettered fury.

Who the fuck did he think he was, composing a song about his little tryst with Eren fucking Jaeger, high-profile celebrity lawyer engaged to the actress Annie Leonhart and perfectly  _straight_ , fuck you very much, without getting his permission? It was fucking outrageous. Sure, it didn't mention him by name, or profession, or anything even mildly incriminating, and the only two that knew the song was about a certain teal-eyed lawyer were the singer and Eren himself, but there was something so... so  _disturbing_  about having his lapse in judgment blasted on the radio, on the lips of every teen girl, making waves on fucking television, out there for everyone to see. He felt exposed, raw, angry.

Everyone in the fucking states knew who Eren Jaeger was, even before he had ever snagged the precious gem that was Annie to sit pretty on his arm; he was famous in his own right. Son of renowned doctor Grisha and beloved Cellist Carla Jaeger, Eren had been in the spotlight since before he could even remember. The world watched as he excelled in his classes, cheered as he passed his bar exam with flying colors, and became the strapping young lawyer that he was today. He had never been a disappointment; his conservative parents had urged him to become a lawyer, and so he had, because he only wanted to please them and make them proud. He was very well off, having made his name as a celebrity lawyer as soon as he could take his first case, and his fame only grew when he began offering his services for free to those in need that lacked the funds to hire a lawyer. Eren wasn't just some high-profile jackass getting famous and rich people off of well-deserved charges, he was a lawyer for the people. And the people adored him for his donations and charitable actions to those less fortunate.

Everything in his life that had been built by his parents, and then by himself, had been perfect. It was all nicely wrapped up, neatly organized, and well cared for—until  _he_  came in, shook up the contents and smashed it, before walking back out like a storm, leaving devastation in his wake. Eren shook those thoughts from his head roughly, shoving it all into a box in the back of his mind. His life was still perfect, as far as he was concerned. The only thing that reminded him of his lapse in behavior and idiotic judgment was that fucking song that he couldn't seem to escape from.

No matter, he just wouldn't listen to the radio anymore. He would bring earbuds with him everywhere, to drown out the voices singing along, and really, wouldn't it be healthier for his mind to cut back on television, as well? He had been indulging a little too much recently, in his opinion.

 _"Mr. Jaeger, you have a call waiting,"_  the cheerful voice of his receptionist over the intercom dragged him back to reality, and the ever-present mask of professionalism locked back into place.

"Send it to line one," he responded smoothly, banishing all thoughts of that man from his mind.

* * *

Levi sat in his dimly lit hotel room, leaning heavily back on the luxurious loveseat, a glass of whiskey clutched by the brim with the fingertips of one hand, whilst the other flicked cigarette ash over the back of the seat. One of his legs was kicked up on the cushion, the other braced on the ground, and Petra lay overtop him, head pillowed against his chest. She was breathing softly, slowly, having passed out from just a little too much alcohol, and Levi was, well... brooding.

It wasn't odd for the 36 year old man to be caught up in his thoughts with a dark expression on his face, but it had been happening with an alarming frequency as of late. All because of some bright eyed brat. He heaved a sigh and tossed back the last of his whiskey before letting the glass fall to the carpeted floor, forgotten. A drag off his cigarette inflating his lungs displaced the strawberry blonde's head slightly, and she hummed in her sleep, curling up a little closer to his torso. Smoke curled up from his parted lips, forming meaningless shapes in the air, and blank slate eyes followed their lazy trail as his mind wandered.

Everything in his life culminating up into this shitstorm of a fucking existence, could all be pinpointed to one fucking simple mistake. Well, a goddamn amalgamation of mistakes careening off a fucking cliff, but he digresses. Certainly, there could have been different paths that he could have taken that would have led to a different endgame, but if this one circumstance hadn't have happened, this entire fucking branch would have been cut like a diseased limb. But for some reason, as shitty as everything was, he couldn't bring himself to regret the roads he took. He couldn't regret  _him._  And certainly, it hadn't been all bad.

For example, his band's fame was skyrocketing to heights he'd never even dreamed they'd reach for at least another five years of nose to the fucking grindstone, all thanks to a song he had composed in a fit of wrath and despair. It had come out much more upbeat thanks to Hange's fucking perfect arrangements, even if the lyrics were on the depressing side. He had mindblowing sex, felt things he had never experienced before, and had a fucking blast while on the goddamned rollercoaster ride that was Eren Jaeger. So he'd crashed and burned, and everything was in the shitter, and it fucking blew donkey dick. He'd get over it. Bright Eyes didn't  _have_ to be different. All lays with pretty eyes were just one and the fucking same, he told himself repeatedly.

Levi was the fucking frontman for No Name, for Christ's sake. He could have his pick of the litter if he damn well chose. The band consisted of Hange, Miche, and himself, but their identities were kept a complete and utter secret from the public. Known as H, M, and L respectively—Hange's shit idea, but no one else had any better ones—the three of them had formed the band on a drunken whim in college, and hadn't expected it to get as far as it had. They worked hard, though, and earned their spot on the charts with blood, sweat, and tears. No Name was on the lips of teenagers everywhere; hell, even adults seemed to go crazy for their mysterious shtick, and their popularity rose so fast that Levi got whiplash. So, really, if he felt the need to get some fucking pussy or dick, all he had to do was give the word, and panties would drop faster than someone dropped a fucking hot potato (fuck off, he was shit at metaphors, okay?). He just... wasn't horny right now, that was all. The fact that he'd brought Petra back to the hotel with the intention of fucking, only to end up drinking the entire mini-bar instead, was a testament to that fact. His dick wasn't broken, fuck you very much. He didn't suffer from ED, either. His libido was just... lax, currently. From work-related stress and lack of sleep. Obviously.

His cigarette had long since snuffed out by the time he brought it back to his lips, and he made an irritated noise in the back of his throat. He didn't have another one near him; his pack was all the way across the fucking room, and Petra was dead to the fucking world on top of him, making escape futile. So he closed his eyes wearily, leaning his head back on the loveseat, and once again began to contemplate the start of it all...

* * *

**_1 and a Half Years Ago_ **

**_Mid-August_ **

_What the FUCK, Levi!"_  Hange screeched through the shitty payphone receiver, and the short, scowling man winced, yanking it harshly away from his ear.  _"What the fuck do you mean by 'I'm in jail, come bail me out?!' Is it April 1st?"_

Levi frowned deeply, his brows furrowing as he brought the disgusting phone back as close to his person as he was willing to without it touching his skin. "First, shut the fuck up, you shitty fucking banshee. I'm not old enough to go deaf yet. Secondly, why the absolute shitting  _fuck_  would I joke about this? At 3 in the goddamned morning? And last I fucking checked, dumbass, it's fucking Autumn. So will you just come fucking get me already? I'm at Trost Police Department."

 _"Oh my god, okay. I'm getting in the car right now."_  Levi heard the sound of her car door slamming, and he leaned against the wall as she took a deep breath and released a harsh sigh.  _"This is so not how I expected to start my fucking day,"_  Hange muttered, starting her car and peeling out of the driveway.  _"What even happened?"_

"That can wait, just hurry up. And do me another favor, and don't even breathe a word of this to Eyebrows," he growled threateningly. He hadn't called their manager for a fucking reason. Erwin didn't need to know about this.

 _"Erwin's going to kill you,"_  Hange singsonged into the receiver, her voice staticky, before she went deathly silent.  _"...he's going to kill me too, isn't he?"_

Levi snorted unattractively, the corner of his lips pulling back into a sneer. "You don't fucking say. You're my accomplice now, bitch." Grey eyes studied well-manicured nails, inspecting for any dirt beneath the free edges.

 _"Shit,"_  the woman whined, still seeming to possess that demented cheery tone in her voice. Fucking psycho.  _"You owe me big time, shortstack."_

"Tch." He hung up the phone without dignifying her with a response. The officer that had escorted him to the phone led him back to his cell, and shut the door behind him. It clanged loudly, the sound echoing through the hall, and while he waited for her to arrive, Levi leaned against the wall. He grimaced at the "bed" in the cell, refusing to touch it even though he was dead on his feet and feeling a little dizzy. Who knew how many people had put their disgusting bodies on that mattress. Clean sheets didn't mean shit to the germs underneath; his skin crawled at the thought, and he could feel the urge to scald his skin and scrub it raw. Shitty glasses couldn't bail him out fast enough for his tastes.

After what felt like years dragging by, his officer came back and unlocked the cell, gesturing him out. "Your bail was paid; you're free to go."

"Fucking finally," Levi groused, pushing his hair out of his eyes as he strode forward, shoulders back and head held high. Once he made it out into the main office, Hange stood up from a shitty plastic chair and practically mowed him down. She leeched onto him tightly and picked him up off of his feet.

"My precious little grumpy," she screeched into his ear, and he winced and struggled in her grasp, trying to free himself. "I'm so happy to see you safe and sound and all in one piece!"

"Jesus fucking Christ, shitstain, put me the fuck down and get me out of here!" He smacked her on the back of the head, eye twitching at the rat's nest that she called hair. It hung down around her shoulders, not pulled up for once, and was all mussed up from tossing and turning in bed.

Completely disregarding his first command, the exciteable woman spun around and promptly carried him out of the police station and into the parking lot. Levi cursed and fought the entire way, hissing insults at his bandmate. She deposited him into the car, shutting the passenger door, before heading around and climbing into the driver's seat. Hange started the car, backing out of the parking spot, and as quickly as legally possible, sped out of the lot and onto the road.

"So," she started conversationally, her tired eyes flicking over to regard the short man's profile. Levi was currently leaning against the car door, his eyes even more lidded than normally, and he looked exhausted. He merely grunted for her to continue, his gaze lazily trailing over to her as she focused back on the road. "Care to tell me what crime I'm an accessory to? Seeing as how I'm dead no matter what now." The last statement was breathed out, spoken more to herself than to her passenger.

Levi scowled deeply, his arms crossing over his chest, and he did the same with his legs, settling them into his seat. "Look, it's not that bad, okay? So don't shit your pants or get your panties in a twist."

"Levi Ackerman," she stressed his name, her voice taking on a hard, serious edge. "I will call Erwin  _right now_ —"

 _"All fucking right,"_  he bit out, cutting her off. "Don't get Bushybrows involved, fuck. I'm going to tell you." He huffed in annoyance, blowing air up to displace the strands of hair in his face. "I was out, at a club. And I had been drinking, but not heavily. I was only buzzed." Hange opened her mouth, ready to interrupt, but Levi shot her a mutinous glare, daring her to interrupt him; she wisely took the warning to heart and slammed her mouth shut so fast that her teeth clacked together audibly.

"So I was buzzed, and I was going to take some guy back to a hotel with me. I didn't want to take a cab, didn't need one, so we took my car. I was driving perfectly fine, you know me Shitty glasses, so don't start lecturing, and this guy pulls out a little fucking baggy of coke."

"What the  _fuck,_  Levi!?" Hange shrieked, nearly swerving into the oncoming traffic lane. "Don't tell me—"

"Fuck off and listen, bitch!" After she got a steady hold on the wheel, Levi rolled his eyes and brought his voice back to its normal apathetic tone. "So, the coke. Of course I'm like,  _'what the fuck, man, I don't do drugs, get that shit out of my face,'_  and he tells  _me_  that he doesn't give a shit, that he's perfectly fine getting high alone, it'll just make the sex better for him. I'm about ready to kick this fuck out of my car if he doesn't put that shit away, but then he just fucking grabs my crotch out of nowhere. I almost veered off the fucking road I was shocked at the sheer size of this man's nuts. He clearly needs a goddamn wheelbarrow to haul those puppies around. Anyway, obviously, I demand an answer to the perfectly reasonable question of  _'what the actual fuck do you think you're doing you absolute mouth breathing waste of space'_." Levi takes a deep breath, and exhales through his nose, getting more comfortable, before turning his head to fully face Hange.

The woman is completely absorbed in his little tale, and it looks like she's having a hard time trying to decide what deserves the most attention: him or the road. Luckily for the both of them, she turns into the apartment complex and parks the car, leaving it running as she turns bodily towards him and raises her brows expectantly, impatience written on her face. She gesticulates wildly for him to continue, before crossing her own legs in her seat and leaning her elbows on them.

"And this fucking guy, you know what he says to me, shitty glasses? He says, and I fucking quote,  _'I'm just gonna do a line off your cock, babe.'_  And then has the audacity to try and bribe me with sloppy roadhead." Hange chokes on a laugh, the sound gurgling and dying in her throat as she waits, a hand pressed over her lips. "To which, I vehemently refuse. At this point, I'm swerving on the road, trying to get shit for brains the fuck away from me, and then all of the sudden, I'm hearing sirens and seeing their little flashing lights. I know I'm fucked, so I pull over. I contemplated just shoving titanium nuts from my car and speeding off. His sac would weigh him down and I'd make a flawless getaway."

"Holy  _shit_ , Levi," Hange wheezes, her face a splotchy red as she doubles over on herself, still trying to suppress her laughter until the end, and her whole torso shakes from the exertion.

Levi keeps a straight face, his expression bleeding boredom as he raises a singular brow. He gives a little half-shrug, his head cocking to the side as he watches with amusement in slate irises. He continues on conversationally, as if just discussing the weather. "You're fucking telling me. So the officer is a complete shitsnack. He arrests us both, after forcibly grabbing me and yanking me from the car. Like, I didn't fucking do anything except roll my goddamn window down and greet the fuck. He  _pulled me through the fucking window_ , Hange."

"Bullshit!" She squeals, leaning towards Levi with wide eyes. "There's no way a cop would do that." She can hardly get her words out, still shaking with repressed laughter. Levi's lips twitch, fighting off a smirk that threatens to spread, just knowing that Hange's close to her breaking point. He leans forwards slightly, lowering his voice conspiratorially.

"Apparently the protocol changes when they see a dick out and a bag of coke about to be poured all over it like its a fucking donut in the process of getting powdered," Levi deadpans, his face void of any emotion. Hange finally breaks and starts cackling like a hyena, smacking her hand against her leg loudly. It draws that shit-eating smirk to Levi's lips, his eyes lighting up at making his best friend laugh at his shitty predicament. "Once we get to the station, they test me. Obviously I'm intoxicated— _barely,_  mind you—so I get slapped with a DWI and fucking  _possession._  Even after I explained that the coke's not fucking mine. Even though it was in dick-for-brain's grimy hand. Oh, and let's not forget indecent exposure. They drug tested me, questioned me until they were blue in the face, and then they finally posted my bail and let me get my damn phone call. You know the rest."

Hange had finally stopped laughing, and she drew slow breaths to try and maintain calm, processing all of his words. It takes a few minutes, and her ribs fucking  _kill_ , but she's finally got her laughter under control. Suddenly, she looks stricken, and grips onto his hands tightly, squeezing the circulation out of them. "Levi, you're so fucked. Erwin is going to go to prison for murder, and Miche and I can't do this band thing without you or him. What the fuck are we gonna do!?"

"You're fucked too, partner-in-crime. You don't tell him about this, and neither do I. Lucky for me, the public doesn't know L's real identity, so this can't fuck with No Name's or L's images. I just have to get the charges dropped, and  _then_  we can tell Eyebrows. He can't kill us if there's no more situation. That'd just be a waste of the talent."

She's nodding along, humming in agreement, before she gasps and leans into his personal space. "I've got an idea! A lawyer! Lawyers know what to do. We can hire one of those to get my little grumpy, and by association, me, out of trouble and away from Bushybrows' evil clutches. I'm a genius!"

"Yeah, but Erwin has a connection to, what, fucking,  _all_ of them. It would get back to him before we could even say 'fucked sideways five ways to Sunday with a rusty fucking pole'." Levi sighed, pinching his eyes closed. This was stress that he  _so_  did not fucking need. He made a silent vow to himself to never pick up another drunk pretty boy from a seedy bar ever again. Or at least, he'd search their pockets to make damn sure they weren't carrying.

Hange makes a noise of distress, before her mouth falls open in a gasp. "Waitwait  _wait._  You remember that kid? The one that's the son of the famous doctor whatshisfuck and that cellist whozzit? Eyebrows hasn't made connections with him yet, although he's mentioned wanting to."

"That could work... if we can get to him before Shitbrows can." Grumbling, the man contemplated her words. "He any good?"

"There's a couple ways to find out. One:" his bandmate held up her index finger for emphasis. "Research the fuck outta him. And two: a consultation. I know those aren't free, but it's a good place to start."

"It's not like I have a fucking choice in the matter. Let's get inside, Hange. I'm tired, and we've got a fuck ton of shit to do tomorrow. And that's not even including our workload. Fucking Erwin. Someone get him a whip; the man's a damn slave driver."

Nodding her agreement, the two climbed out of the car and headed into their apartment, ready to collapse into their individual beds and sleep for eternity. The night had held far too much excitement, and Levi wasn't sure how much more his heart could take.

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> Please leave comments and tell me what you think! I really hope you guys like it, I had a lot of fun writing it. Did you find it funny? Let me know! I'm excited to continue this and see where it takes us. (I do have a gameplan. Ish... things are wont to change.) Apologies for any mistakes (grammatical or otherwise) that may be featured; this is unbeta'd and I literally jut gave it a cursory once-over of an edit. Ooops.
> 
> I always read every single comment, and I try to reply to them all. I love them, they make my day! Thanks for reading and dealing with my pisspoor ability to work on my old stories while I get caught up in new ones. I appreciate the support.


	2. Can I Bone My Lawyer?

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> So it's pretty short. I'm thinking the chapters will probably remain on the short-medium side. Don't know how many chapters it'll be yet, though. I'm more so having fun with this one and filling my need for No Name. (I mean, read the titles of the chapters. I'm literally just amusing myself. Hopefully you think it's funny, too.) I hope you'll enjoy the latest installment!

The sound of an alarm trilling set his nerves on edge, and with a long-suffering groan, Levi buried his head deeper into his pillows, burrowing into his comforter. A pale hand appeared from beneath the blanket, clumsily reaching over to the nightstand and blindly fumbling over the surface. An empty glass got knocked onto the floor, and his palm slapped the wood, a frustrated whine rising from the lump of bedding. Blessedly, his hand found the alarm clock, and smashed down heavily on the button to turn it off. Sweet, sweet silence filled his room, and he sighed peacefully, the furrow in his brow relaxing slightly.

His head was throbbing with a headache, not so much from a hangover, and more so because of the fact that he hadn't gotten enough sleep. Being a famous musician was not all it was cracked up to be. Everyone thought it was some glamorous life, where bands spent all of their time fucking off, getting high, getting laid. Sure, those things did happen, but they still had to get up and actually work during the day. Plus, tours were fucking brutal. He was slowly being lulled back into sleep by the gentle quiet of his room, but of course with his shitty luck, that didn't last.

The bedroom door flew open and smacked loudly into the wall, and only a few seconds later, his lungs let out a sharp exhale of air as he was crashed into. He was tortuously being buried alive beneath his blankets and pillows, and another entire fucking body that outsized and nearly outweighed him.

"Oh no, little grumpy, if I have to suffer from lack of sleep, so do you," Hange trilled loudly, drawing an angry hiss from the man beneath her.

Levi struggled, trying to free himself from the extra weight and his own bedding, his head finally popping out to shoot her a murderous glare. "Get the  _fuck_  off me, Shitty glasses!"

Instead of dutifully following his command, the woman took one look at his face and ruffled hair, and burst into pealing laughter, her own head flying back. "Oh my fucking god, you look so adorable! Like a little angry kitten all swaddled up!" She reached her hands forward and squished his cheeks, earning a swift kick to the hip once he freed his leg.

He turned his head in her hands and viciously snapped his jaws shut, attempting to bite his bandmate with lack of boundaries. Finally, she conceded, pulling back and slipping down to sit on the mattress. Grumbling expletives, he slowly sat up and ran a hand down his face.

"You know what? Fuck this, I'm going back to jail. I'll plead guilty to all charges. Anything is better than getting up at the ass crack of dawn and having to deal with  _you_ ," he seethed, lips pulling back to bare his teeth aggressively as he gave her a chilling side-eye.

"You love me, munchkin, don't lie!" Hange exclaimed with a mischievous grin, leaning forward to place a sloppy wet kiss on his cheek. A disgusted shudder rippled through his body, and he furiously scrubbed at his cheek, huffing.

"I actually hate you," he muttered, stretching his body out languidly. "Make tea while I shower, and then we'll take a look at this lawyer kid."

Hange sang out an affirmative, and Levi rolled out of his bed, padding into his en suite bathroom. There was no way in hell he would have moved into a place where he had to share a bathroom with his bandmate; she was a natural disaster in human form. He rarely ever stepped foot in her room, lest he get swallowed up in the actual landfill of dirty clothes and god knows what else. Snagging a towel out of the linen closet, he threw it up on a hook before he stripped down. Levi wrinkled his nose and looked down at the clothes at his feet; they were the ones from the night before, because he'd been far too exhausted to take a shower, let alone change into something clean. It was a decision he certainly regretted, seeing as now he had to strip his bed and replace the sheets.

Hot water cascaded down over his tired body, and he released a drawn-out sigh of bliss. This was exactly what he needed. Levi took his time, thoroughly cleansing every inch of his skin until he was satisfied that all evidence of last night was gone from his skin. His hair was shampooed twice, blunt nails raking over his scalp, washing all the suds away. Finishing his shower, he turned the faucet off and climbed out onto a bath rug. He dried quickly with the fluffy towel, using the material to soak up the moisture clinging to his hair until it was only slightly damp. With a satisfied once-over in the mirror, he turned and exited the bathroom, walking into his room.

He threw on boxers, black sweatpants, and a loose grey cashmere sweater that was two sizes too big, ran a comb through his inky locks, and rubbed a hand over the back of his undercut to check the length. It was edging on getting a little too long; he'd have to make Hange shave it later. With that added to his mental to-do list, he padded out into the den, fingers massaging into the crook of his neck. The intermingling scents of tea and coffee tickled his nose, and he followed it into the kitchen. Hange was sitting with one leg crossed on top of the counter, the other dangling down and kicking absentmindedly. Her back was hunched forward, glasses perched high on the bridge of her nose, and she stared intently at the screen of the computer she had resting on her lap. She clutched her coffee mug in one hand, taking a long drink from it, her gaze never leaving the laptop.

"Matcha," the woman stated in lieu of a greeting, waving her mug precariously in the direction of his tea.

Levi hummed in response, perking up at the prospect of delicious matcha. "Good choice," he complimented, moving along the countertop to where his tea sat brewing. He poured himself a generous cup, bringing it up to his nose to inhale the rich scent. Blowing daintily on the hot liquid, he took a small sip, rolling it in his mouth to relish in the flavor before swallowing. "Fuck. I thought we were out of this."

Hange made a noncommittal noise in the back of her throat. "Miche brought it over last night. Said the air smelt like you needed it."

"He always knows; crazy bastard." His bandmate murmured her agreement, before finally looking up from her laptop screen to regard her smaller counterpart.

Turning the computer around to face Levi, she pointed at an image on the screen. "This is our lawyer. His name is Eren Jaeger."

Levi took a step closer, leaning forward to study the picture. Eren was wearing a smart suit with a black tie, standing tall, smiling rakishly straight at the camera. His smile was crooked, though if it was naturally so or done on purpose to add to his attractiveness, he couldn't tell. His rich soil colored locks were kept professionally short, but it was tousled and fell artfully into his face. Even his skin was gorgeous, that perfect coffee-with-cream tone, all warmth and sun-kissed. But it was his eyes that drew Levi's attention the most; they were startling, stunning, bright, and absolutely one of a kind.

"The kid has heterochromia," Levi announced suddenly. One of the irises was the color of the ocean; all raging blues and swirling greens, fighting for dominance, and creating a breathtaking teal. The other eye stood in a stark contrast of molten gold, the amber iris flecked with spots of viridian. "Not bad," he muttered to himself, but Hange heard his words, and grinned wickedly.

"He's quite the looker, isn't he? I can't believe those are his real eyes!" She squealed, spinning the computer on her lap and typing away. She pulled up several browsers full of articles before passing it off to her bandmate, swaying back and forth in her excitement. "He's the full package: smart, charitable, and really fucking good at his job. Those are all his achievements."

Levi browsed, his brow furrowed as he muttered out bits of information. "...celebrity lawyer... never lost a case... offers free assistance to those less fortunate... Man, who is this kid?"

"Ah!" Hange leaned forward, clicking onto another browser from behind the laptop. She peeked over the top to be able to see what she was doing, scrolling down until she found what she was looking for. "These are his parents; they should look familiar."

Levi's eyes widened and he pushed his face even closer to the screen. "Holy fuck, he's Grisha Jaeger's son? That fucker's a renowned surgeon. Apparently philanthropy runs in their fucking family. He's opened like, 4 different charities."

"Come on, Levi, I thought you were smarter than that," Hange chastised, snickering behind her hand. "How many fucking people do you think have that last name?"

"Look I knew it was familiar, don't get on my case, shitty glasses. I just didn't know he was  _that_  Jaeger," he grumbled, giving her a dirty look. He turned his attention back to the computer and flicked to another site. "He's got pretty fucking flawless reviews..."

"I think he's perfect! He'll get your ass off so fast!" His bandmate waggled her eyebrows suggestively, a filthy smile stretching her lips.

"You ever get cold in that gutter you inhabit, four eyes?" Levi deadpanned with a roll of his eyes.

"Nah, there's plenty of warm bodies in here to keep me company."

"Gross." Levi's phone ringing ended their banter, and he picked up the cell to read the caller ID. He mouthed  _'Eyebrows'_ at Hange, before hitting the answer button and bring it to his ear. "What."

 _"Why, hello to you too, Levi. I'm great, thank you for asking,"_  Erwin said, bemusement coloring his tone.

Levi gave a long-suffering sigh and rolled his eyes. "Get to the point, Bushy brows. I'm busy."

A soft chuckle came over the receiver, before the man's voice evened out, and he became all business.  _"We need you and Hange in the studio in thirty minutes. In case you've forgotten, No Name has an album to record."_

"I fucking  _know_ , numbnuts, I wrote the damn thing. We'll be there shortly, so piss off." The scowl on his face deepened, and he shot a look over at Hange. He gestured to the cellphone after he captured her attention, then pointed at her, and mouthed a quick  _'call Eren'_. She nodded quickly in confirmation, slipping off of the counter and heading off toward her bedroom. Levi heard the soft  _click_  of the door shutting behind her.

 _"—are you even listening to me?"_ Erwin asked, disbelief playing on his tongue as the shorter man tuned back in.

"Quite frankly, I was not. You can talk at me all you fucking want when we get to the studio, Shitbrows, but I currently don't have the brain capacity to give enough of a shit to absorb your words. If you'll excuse me," and without even giving his manager a chance to respond, Levi ended the call, slipping his phone into his back pocket.

A few moments later, Hange came bounding out of her room, and after making sure that her roommate was no longer on the phone, she squealed in excitement and threw her arms around him.

"You're all set, sugarbean! You've got a consultation tomorrow during our lunch break. His receptionist was just lovely!" She squeezed him in a bear hug, and Levi groaned, pushing at her with all of his strength.

"Okay! Jesus fuck, get off of me!" Finally, he shoved her away, and he took a deep breath, raking a hand through his hair. "Fucking hell, you'll kill me before Erwin ever does."

Hange merely pinched his cheeks, before running for the door with a squawk as Levi chucked a book at her. He rolled his eyes, grabbing his keys and slipping his feet into a pair of shoes, following her out of their apartment. As he locked the door, he thought back to the lawyer brat he'd be meeting tomorrow. All his good looks didn't mean shit if he couldn't fix Levi's little problem.

 _He really is fucking hot, though,_  he mused, smirking to himself.  _I wonder if he likes cock up his ass._

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> And there you have it! It'll either be next chapter or the following where they finally meet. The next chapter will be Eren-centric, so look forward to that, dear readers!  
> Please leave comments! I absolutely love all comments, I read each and every one, and I try to respond to them all. Comments are like my life blood (as are cigarettes and coffee). Never think that it would be pointless for you to comment, because they are all precious to me, and they mean the world to me. All the love~!


	3. Parental Pressure and Horsey Woes

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> Well hello! Another new chapter. I'm really inspired and I have the compulsion to just write this whenever I have a free moment, which isn't often with how much I've been working. BUT. Here. It. Is. Chapter three, with our lovely Eren. Who is indeed a little shit. I apologize for any errors, grammatical or otherwise, I only gave this a cursory sweep. It's unbeta'd and I don't have time to edit it. I really hope you enjoy!

The soft sound of water showering down against porcelain filled the bathroom, echoing off of eggshell white walls and marble flooring. The gentle pattering was soothing, mimicking rain on a dreary day. Eren stuck his head under the showerhead, eyes closing tightly as he upturned his face, fingers scrubbing his brown locks free of conditioner. Every morning that he had to work, he always made sure to take a shower to begin his day; it helped brace him for the day by calming him and fully waking him from sleep. Feeling refreshed, he turned the faucet off and pulled back the curtain, shivering when the cool air played over his drenched skin. Eyes remaining closed, he blindly reached towards the wall, fingers finding and grasping onto an impossibly soft towel. He brought it up to his face first, and wiped away every little droplet.

Eren lifted his head and opened two equally vibrant yet disparate eyes, looking towards his fogged up mirror. He ran the towel over his body, drying himself quickly, before he stepped out onto a plush rug, wiggling his toes against it. He stepped up to the counter and leaned forward, towel wiping away the condensation with muffled squeaks until he could once again see his reflection.

Seaglass and amber stared back at him; his eyes were a startling contrast, and he hated them. When he was a baby, the left eye had had a disfigured splotch of gold, though it had mostly matched the turquoise of his right. It rapidly consumed the iris, and within a couple of years that molten color had taken over. Along with it came intense sensitivity to light and horrible migraines. Kids made fun of him relentlessly for having a creepy cat eye. He remembered begging his parents to fix it, or to at least let him cover it up. They immediately refused, the excuse being along the lines of "God made you in His image, Eren. To do such a thing would be a grave insult to Our Lord." So, he had sucked it up, all the way up until middle school when a group of boys cornered him in the bathroom and beat the shit out of him for being a child of the devil.

His parents changed their tune rapidly. They took him to an optometrist, who ran a series of tests on his vision, and then prescribed him colored contacts for his left eye. From that point on he rarely ever went without the golden iris concealed and hidden, and he was transferred to a new school, sans bullies. His mother insisted he "let his eye breathe" when at home, but that was the only time he allowed it to be exposed. Even into his adulthood, he still took the time to put in the contact, masking amber with teal, though he highly doubted anyone would bash him for it, what with how they thought him a saint.

Eren did hate the eye, though. He scowled when recalling how paparazzi had gotten a picture of him with both of his eyes on display. He'd accidentally ripped his last contact and had to leave for work with it exposed. He didn't have time to go pick up his prescription, and he'd already called his assistant to meet him at the office with it, but his luck was notoriously shitty. When he'd walked out of his front door, he spotted a photographer, snapping pictures immediately at his exit. How Eren wanted to sneer and flip the fucking woman off. Yet, he would never dare to do such a thing; it would ruin his image of a kind man, and his parents would kill him for such a display. So instead, he smiled brightly, his head tilting to the side ever so slightly. She got her pictures, and he turned away immediately, striding to his car to make a hasty retreat.

Even though he'd called around to all of the magazine and newspaper publishers to put a gag on the media, the image still ended up on the internet somehow. And there was no way to get it permanently removed.

Banishing the thoughts from his head, Eren picked up his contact case, twisting the lid off swiftly. He eased it out of its bath, cleansed it with more contact solution, and then balanced it on the tip of his index finger. He filled the small concave lens carefully, and set the bottle of solution onto the counter. He held his lid open with his now free hand, pressing the little film to his iris, and blinked until the disc fit perfectly over it. He assessed his reflection, feeling satisfaction at his now completely symmetrical features. He dumped and washed out the case, setting it on a towel to dry, and exited the bathroom, having brushed his teeth prior to the shower.

A suit was hanging on the outside of the closet, and he walked over to it, removing it from the hangers. Eren had selected it last night, a routine of his that helped avoid rushing in the morning. He knew from experience that trying to be hasty was a terrible idea for him; he'd forget things, spill coffee on himself, and once he even ended up heading in the opposite direction of work in his panicked rushing. After he carefully dressed himself, he slid his feet into freshly polished dress shoes, and admired himself in the full length mirror hanging on his wall, giving his reflection an approving nod.

Eren exited his bedroom, heading into the hall. He waltzed through the foyer and strode into the kitchen, making a B-line for the coffee machine. It was set to automatically brew a pot at a designated time every day; all he had to do was fill it the night before. He pulled a travel mug from the cabinet, and filled it to the brim with the precious liquid. After adding a splash of cream and a dash (okay, maybe three spoonfuls) of sugar, he placed the lid onto it tightly, and left the kitchen. Snagging keys, phone, and briefcase, he made his way outside and to his beautiful silver Jaguar. Unlocking it and climbing inside, Eren settled into his seat before starting it and buckling in.

As he was pulling out of the driveway, his phone began to ring loudly. He sighed when he read the caller ID, grimacing in resignation.  _Here we go,_  he thought grumpily.

With a click, he answered the call, and it connected to the speakers of his car.

 _"Eren, dear, how are you this morning?"_  His mother's voice blared loudly, and he winced as he turned the volume down swiftly. He had forgotten how high he'd left it last night.

"Hello, mother, it's good to hear from you. I'm just heading into work. How have you been?" Eren asked conversationally, hoping to keep the conversation steered away from him.

 _"Oh, I've been just wonderful, darling. I got an invitation to participate in an orchestra for a recital on the 16th, so I've been preparing,"_ Carla hummed happily, and Eren could hear the sound of a bow gently sliding over strings.

He grinned to himself, taking a turn and keeping his eyes on the road. "That's great, mom. I'll see if I can take time out of work to come and see you play."

 _"Oh, no, there's no need to do that. You shouldn't suggest something so irresponsible, Eren,"_  she chided, stilling the bow and leaving silence between them for a moment. He had to supress the urge to roll his eyes. 23, and his mother still treated him like a child.  _"I actually called for another reason."_

 _Oh, fuck, here it comes,_  Eren thought, bracing himself for the inevitable as he kept his tone light and innocently curious. "Oh? And that would be?"

He could hear Carla shifting around and assumed she was putting her cello away carefully.  _"I wanted to invite you and Annie to dinner this Saturday night. It's been a while since your father and I have seen you two, and I'm sure your busy schedules keep you apart. Unless... You haven't been staying with each other, have you?"_  She demanded, her voice sounding scandalised.

"Of course not, mother. You and dad raised me better than that. We won't be moving in together before marriage," he recited, holding back an irritated sigh. His parents were conservative to the extreme, and though they'd raised him to be the same way, he really... wasn't. But he still kept up pretenses for them; he didn't want to upset them or disappoint them. As he had done all his life, he aimed to please them and keep them happy: he would do anything to maintain the status quo. "I'm sure Annie would love to join us for dinner."

 _"Speaking of marriage, Eren,"_  Carla started, ignoring his last statement. He silently cursed himself for walking straight into that one.  _"When do you intend to propose to her? You two have been dating for 3 years now, and you're not getting any younger. Neither am I or your father. We want grandchildren, Eren. We didn't wait this long to get married. God chose her for you, sweetheart; you need to propose before you leave her waiting too long. You don't want to lose out on such a precious gift from God."_

Eren pushed down the urge to smack his head repeatedly into the steering wheel as he turned into the parking lot of his office. Seeking to appease the woman that gave him life, he breathed a silent sigh, and calmly spit out his tried and true argument. "You know I want this to be special, mother. Annie means too much to me for me to just do it randomly. I'm planning to make it as romantic as possible, and that takes a while to do. I promise it'll be soon, so please, let me make this perfect."

Carla relaxed, swooning with a gentle lilt to her voice.  _"We raised such a little romantic gentleman. Your father and I are so proud of you. I'll concede and let you do it your way, dear. Just make it soon. Your father and I only want the best for you."_

Swallowing a pained lump, Eren kept his voice smooth and steady. "I know, mom. But I've gotta go, I made it to work. Tell dad I love him, and we'll see you both this weekend. I love you."

 _"We love you too, darling,"_  she responded, and the call came to a resounding halt.

Eren leaned back in his seat, taking a deep breath and releasing it slowly. He did love his parents, and he knew they only meant well. But sometimes—well, most of the time—their expectations of him were suffocating. His entire life plan was set to their schedule. He graduated high school early, losing out on valedictorian by a small margin to his best friend Armin (which they had been unhappy with him about, but still happy that he was one of the top students, and were nonetheless proud of the little blond); he attended the university of his father's choosing immediately and worked himself ragged to earn top marks. He interned at a company that his father suggested, owned by a man he was colleagues with. On top of it all, after he had finished college and passed his bar exam, his parents insisted he open his own law firm and be his own boss. They funded the project, built it to their stipulations, and then dumped it into his lap. His mother forced his very first client on him; an older woman who had been accused of embezzling money—a Hollywood director who attended his parent's church, if he recalled correctly—and even though he hated getting a crook off scot-free, he swallowed his pride and did it for his mother.

Even dating Annie hadn't been entirely his idea, although she was wonderful and he certainly didn't regret it. He hadn't even met her on his own. His mother introduced them, and when he thought about why, he snorted at the sheer ridiculousness of what had to be the reason. Annie was the daughter of the pastor at their then-new and beloved church; she would make the perfect daughter-in-law for them, as she always attended church every Sunday, even though she was a popular actress and was busy taking roles and filming. Eren loved her though, despite how they had met in the first place. He was happy to be with such a beautiful woman who met his parent's standards of being a good Christian girl with a high social standing.

In spite of how stressful they made his life, regardless of the fact that he strained to maintain perfection to please them at every turn, Eren loved his mother and father, and would continue to obey them until the day he died. And nothing would ever change that. He'd rather go through strenuous trials and keep them happy than to ever have them turn a disappointed and hateful eye onto him.

Opening his eyes, he took one last deep breath, before he slid out of the car and confidently strode inside of  _The Law Offices of Eren M. Jaeger_. His receptionist, Historia, looked up upon his entry and gave him an angelic smile. She had the office phone held to her ear, and her dainty hand was covering the transmitter to muffle her words.

"Mr. Jaeger, I have a potential client that insists on requesting a consultation with you as soon as possible," she murmured, her high voice trilling gently.

Eren walked up to the desk and gestured for her to hand him the phone, and once it was passed to him, he brought it up to his ear and began speaking professionally. "Good morning, this is Eren Jaeger from The Law Offices of Eren M. Jaeger. What may I assist you with?"

A squeal pierced his eardrum, and he winced at the sudden loudness of it. _"Oh, I didn't expect to be able to speak with you directly! Hiya, I'm Hange Zoe, and I'm calling with the hopes of setting up an appointment for a consultation with you. A dear friend and co-worker of mine got tangled up in an unfortunate situation that resulted in a misunderstanding between Trost Police Department and him. We were researching lawyers, and you seemed like our best bet! So, can you help him?"_

Blinking at the flow of words, he took a few moments to process the information that had been practically yelled into his ear rapid-fire. "Ah, a misunderstanding? Well, I suppose if that is all it was, then it wouldn't be very hard at all to clear his name. You are both aware of the cost of a consultation, correct?"

 _"Oh yeah, it's no problem at all,"_  Hange stated airily, sounding completely unconcerned.  _"Can you fit him in, Mr. Jaeger?"_

Eren hummed thoughtfully, setting his briefcase on top of the reception desk and flicking it open. He pulled out his planner and flipped to the current date. Sucking his teeth, he turned another page and looked over everything written.

"Unfortunately I have no free time today. However, I do have a block available at 2:30pm tomorrow. If you'd like, I could pencil in Mister..." he trailed off, waiting for the woman to fill in the blank for him. Historia quickly slid a pen into his hand, smiling up at him, and she picked up her own pencil, holding it steady over the week's calendar on her desk. The thing was covered in his schedule and appointments, with colorful sticky notes decorating it, information scrawled in a pretty hand across them.

 _"Levi Ackerman!"_  the woman screeched, excitement radiating through the phone just from the sheer volume of her voice. It made the receiver crackle a little more than normal, and Eren half-grimaced.  _"That's perfect timing, actually! Our lunch break starts then."_

 _Who the fuck eats lunch that late?_  the lawyer thought to himself in disbelief, before giving a quick shake of his head. "All right, I've got Mr. Levi Ackerman scheduled for tomorrow at 2:30 sharp. Please inform him that I dislike tardiness, as even arriving a few minutes late throws off my entire day."

 _"Okie dokie! Affirmative, captain! I'll make sure he arrives on time all safe and sound. Thank you again for this!"_  Hange cheered, a small laugh in her voice.

The line clicked as she ended the call abruptly, and Eren was left to stand there in silence, clutching the phone. That woman was a whirlwind of crazy, he decided. Handing it back to Historia, he glanced down at her calendar to make sure her placement of the appointment matched his. He gave her a nod, and a kind smile.

"Good morning, Historia. Please have my lunch from the usual place delivered at 11:45. I have an important call to make at noon before my 12:30 appointment, so I would like to eat when Mr. Reeves' appointment ends."

"Of course, sir. I'll be sure to call in your order with Marco promptly." The girl looked down at her desk, picking up a stack of papers and shuffling them neatly. "Miss Blanc called and left a message for you, and Mr. and Mrs. Kirchstein requested for Mr. Arlert to be their divorce lawyer..." She trailed off with a wince.

"I'm sure Horseface isn't happy about the whole thing, but I'm betting he'll be relieved if Armin handles the case. He knows that Ar will remain neutral and be fair to both parties with minimal grievances," Eren stated gently, trying to calm the small woman with his words.

She gave him a bright smile, her eyes holding a sad light. "You're right, Eren. We all knew this divorce was a long time coming. It's just hard to see a friend's family splitting up—regardless of him being an adult or not."

"We'll just have to support him if it gets too hard on him," a raspy voice piped up, and they both turned to see Ymir Bodt leaning against the doorway to her office, dressed smartly in a skirt suit. She was another lawyer employed at his company; everyone who worked in his offices were friends he had made during university, apart from Armin, who he had known his entire life. Ymir just so happened to be the twin sister of Marco, who owned a homey little restaurant a couple blocks from their building. They always ordered from him, and not just because they had become friends through his sister, but because his food was the best damn food they had ever had.

Eren gave a smile to the woman, nodding his head in agreement. "I'm sure all he'll need is a swift kick to the ass. And a little bit of your brother soothing his wounds," he joked.

"Oh, har har, Eren," Ymir made a disgusted face. "Really love the mental image of my  _twin brother_  fucking that horse."

"Hey, I was just as surprised to find out that our very own Freckled Jesus was into bestiality." He gave her his smarmiest shit-eating grin.

"Oh god! Shut the fuck up!" she shouted, looking even more unsettled, before yanking off one of her heels and giving a well-aimed throw of it at his head. "Take your filthy mouth into your office and leave us innocent girls alone."

"Yeah,  _'innocent'_ ," Historia muttered to herself, raising a brow and giving Ymir a scolding look. She raised her voice a few octaves to be heard. "You know very well that if Eren didn't beat you to it, you would have said it yourself."

Ymir faked a scandalised look, placing a hand over her heart. "Krista, baby, how could you even suggest..." she trailed off, drawing a line down her cheek from her eye to mimic a tear and giving a kicked-puppy gaze to the little flaxen-haired beauty.

"Save it," Historia sang playfully, coming around her desk to retrieve the thrown shoe.

Eren rolled his eyes and left the two girls to their antics, heading down a hall and into his office. He leaned back against the door and flicked the light on, steeling himself for what was sure to be a very long day.

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> So... there you have it. Do you guys see where this is going? What do you all think so far? Did you get a laugh? Please leave me comments and let me know your thoughts! I read every one and try to respond. I hope you're enjoying reading it as much as I am writing it. NEXT CHAPTER, THE MEETING. Whoo, boy. You're gonna be in for a treat. I'm going to go all out. Until next time, all the love!
> 
> Side note: I dont have much of a clue about the dynamics of heterochromia, and I also dont really care. I'm just utilizing it in the way that best suits my writing needs. If I were doing a more serious work that wasn't just for fun, I'd do a shit ton more research.


	4. Blackmailed Bribery and Shit-Eating Grins

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> Can I just start by saying, holy shit, the fact that this has over 700 hits with only three chapters makes me extremely happy. I'm so glad to see that people are reading this. With that said, I have worked super hard on this chapter; I even rewrote most of it because I hated how their interaction turned out at first. I'm so much happier with the way it turned out, and I had a lot of fun with Eren and Levi's first meeting. I really hope you enjoy reading it! Apologies for any glaring errors! Unbeta'd and poorly edited. I was excited to get this out ASAP.

A brilliant cacophony of noise filled the studio; Miche wailed on the drums like his life depended on it, his head bobbing in time with the beat. Playing with all her might so as not to be outdone, Hange's fingers danced expertly along the strings of the bass guitar, her face contorted into concentration. The instruments blended together to create a wicked harmony, and a huge grin overtook the woman's features. Levi had his eyes closed, one hand clutching the neck of his guitar, the other resting prone over the strings. His head was tilted back, and he followed the melody, before his body moved into action. Leaning into the microphone, he began playing his guitar, and as his bandmates came to a crescendo, he parted his lips and took a breath in. Levi sang a breathy verse right as the two dropped down into a softer tone, his words flowing like velvet into the mic. His eyes remained closed as he sang, a small smile playing on his lips as his two companions continued to play flawlessly, and together they created a perfect symphony. They were all in their element, focusing on nothing but the music, and they all lost themselves in it. They could practice and play for hours, time passing them by without them even noticing. This was what they were made to do.

As the song came to an end, Levi strummed his guitar softly, before letting the sound fade out and meld with the final notes of Hange's. He took a deep breath, and opened his eyes, raising them to look through the glass. Erwin and their producer, Farlan Church, were sitting next to each other; Farlan wore a devilish grin, staring at the band in awe, and he gave them two thumbs up. Their manager was far more subdued, a subtle smile resting across his lips as he spoke through their headsets.

 _"That was perfect. We'll call this a wrap."_ At his words, Levi pulled off his headset and strode over to a stool, picking up a water bottle and chugging it down.

Catching his breath, he wiped the back of his hand against his sweaty brow and turned to regard his bandmates. "You two did pretty well," he complimented, and Hange whooped with excitement. That was the best compliment they were going to get out of him. Considering his normal brash way of speaking, it was the highest praise.

Miche slid off of his stool, setting his drumsticks down carefully, before he grabbed his own bottle of water. He sniffed the air, bringing the bottle to his lips. "Smells like it'll be in the top ten."

"Fuckin' weirdo," Levi muttered, rolling his eyes. Speaking up, he raised a brow at the other man. "I'm holding you to that, or else you're treating us next time we go to a bar."

"If he's right, then it'll be on you to pay for our drinks, little grumpy!" Hange added, adjusting her glasses as she flashed him a shit eating grin. "You're making fool's bets going against Nose like that. You know he's never wrong."

Levi merely shrugged, ignoring her blasted nickname. "There's a first time for everything," was his explanation.

The three of them headed out of the recording booth and stepped out into the main room of the studio, approaching the producer and manager.

"Dude, that was fuckin' sick. Somehow you guys just keep getting better and better. I can't wait to get this all edited." Farlan was gushing, nearly bouncing in his seat. Levi considered him to be their biggest fan, and he always laid on the praise, making them all feel good after particularly brutal sessions. He was also one of their closest friends.

Erwin was checking his watch, giving a little hum of thought. "It's a little early, but we might as well take lunch. We have three more songs to get recorded before we'll have the complete album, and your schedule tomorrow his booked up with interviews. We might as well try and get them done today."

Hange swallowed a whine, mouthing  _'slave driver'_  at Levi behind their manager's back.

"I told you all he was missing was a whip," Levi whispered to her, causing her to choke on a giggle and snort unattractively.

Erwin turned and raised one of the caterpillar's he called an eyebrow. "Something funny? We could always skip lunch and get right back into it, if you'd prefer?"

"Fuck no, Eyebrows!" Levi huffed, crossing his arms and tilting his chin up haughtily. "I have some errands to run during lunch; good luck getting any work done without the frontman, because I'm leaving whether you say we can or not."

"What kind of errands? This is the first I'm hearing of it." Erwin frowned down at the shorter man, his head tilting to the side slightly.

"I don't owe you an explanation,  _mom._  I'm a grown ass man, and I'll be back on time. Don't get your panties in a twist," the raven-haired man spat out with a scowl, glaring at his manager and just daring the taller, broader man to try and stop him.

"All right, calm down. You can go run your errands. I was planning on treating you all to lunch for your hard work, but I'll just take Miche, Hange, and Farlan."

"Free food!" Hange squealed excitedly, throwing her arms up in cheer. She latched onto Erwin and grinned up at him. "You beautiful blond angel!"

Levi rolled his eyes, grabbing his jacket and starting to walk towards the exit. He glanced back over his shoulder. "I'll take a raincheck on that," he drawled, before turning back to head out the door. He walked down a hallway and up to an elevator, pressing the down arrow to call one. He waited patiently, checking the time on his phone. It was 2:16, meaning he had to haul ass in order to make his consultation appointment. Hange had warned him against being tardy, to which he could only sneer. What did it matter so long as he paid the guy?

A  _ding_ , and the soft shushing of the doors opening signaled the arrival of the elevator, and Levi climbed in, hitting the button for the garage level. It took a minute for the doors to register the command, and once they'd fallen shut, he began to descend all the way down. He watched the numbers tick until displaying a B, and he braced himself as the metal box came to a sudden halt. Exiting the elevator, he waltzed towards his car, slipping his key from his back pocket. After unlocking it and sliding into the driver's seat, he started the vehicle and instantly turned the heat on full blast. It may be early October, but the air outside was frigid. They'd already had the first frost of the year, much to his annoyance. He couldn't stand ungodly hot weather, but he also detested the cold. Levi was much more suited to tepid weather, to warmth and gentle breezes, not harsh winters and ballsweating summers. Sliding on a pair of sunglasses, he checked his rearview to make sure it was clear behind him.

He pulled out of the garage, bringing up mapquest and hitting start. Siri told him to take a left, and so he did. If luck was on his side, he'd make it right on time, and not a minute sooner. But this was him he was talking about; luck shat all over him. He got stuck driving behind the oldest fucking person alive, who was going a wild 30 in a 45; he had to detour around a fuckton of construction, adding 5 minutes to his driving time; and worst of all, he had to stop and wait while a gaggle of schoolchildren were escorted along a crosswalk by a crossing guard holding her shitty little stop sign. Levi momentarily considered manslaughter, his foot itching to slam down on the gas. However, he doubted the hot lawyer could get  _those_ charges dropped. He could imagine it now; him, wearing that hideous orange jumpsuit, handcuffed to a chair, and trying to plead his case.

_"Your honor, I didn't mean to slam on my gas and run over every single little fucking mouthbreather, I just have restless leg syndrome. It acted up. Backing over them was entirely coincidental. I mixed up drive and reverse. Silly me."_

Yeah, that'd fly over real well in court. After they had finished crossing, Levi hit his gas so hard his tires squealed, and he sped as fast as legally allowed, glancing periodically at the time on his dash. He whipped into the parking lot of the building, and turned harshly into the nearest parking space. Faster than he'd ever done before, the car was turned off, and he was out, slamming the door and striding across the lot as he locked the car behind him.

He pushed the main door open and strut through the entryway, making a B-line for what he assumed was the reception desk. Behind it sat a tiny blonde woman, who looked disgustingly cheerful; Levi had to fight the urge to sneer.

Sky blue doe eyes looked up at him, and a pretty pink smile graced her lips. "Welcome to  _The Law Offices of Eren M. Jaeger_ ; my name is Historia, how may I assist you?"

"Levi Ackerman. I have an appointment," he bit out, coming off every bit of unfriendly that he knew he was. He stared down at her through his sunglasses, trying to intimidate her to hurry the fuck up.

Somehow her smile didn't even waver, and she glanced down at her little calender, her long manicured talon dragging down a list of names. "Ah, yes, here you are. I'll phone Mr. Jaeger to let him know you're here. You're welcome to sit in the waiting area."

Levi disregarded that, choosing to stand instead. He leaned lightly against her desk, pulling out his phone to browse through his social media. He ignored the little blonde's voice as she spoke into the transmitter. He paused to look at a photo on instagram; Hange had just posted it, and he had to suppress a laugh. She had captured the moment just as her straw wrapper hit Erwin in the eye. The caption made him smile.  _"Absolutely worth my inevitable murder."_

Dress shoes sharply smacking on the wooden floor drew his attention away from Hange's antics, and he looked up, slipping his phone into his back pocket. Eren Jaeger strode with purpose down the hall, his face a professional mask, though his ocean eyes were lit with an angry fire.  _Wait, eyes?_  Levi thought, his attention shooting back to them. To his utter disappointment and suspicion, they were the exact same color, although the left one looked a little dull. Huh, that was odd. He'd have to look into this kid more.

The lawyer stopped in front of him, crossing his arms and looking down his nose at Levi. His brow raised, and when he spoke, his voice was low and tinged with an edge. "Levi Ackerman, I'm Eren Jaeger. You're late, so let's hurry it along to my office, shall we?" With that, he turned on his heel and stalked back off the way he came, shooting an expectant glare over his shoulder.

"Tch." The singer shoved his thumbs into his front pockets and followed after the very attractive man, his body lax and moving at a leisurely pace. From the little interaction they'd had, Levi deduced that this brat probably had some anger issues. He'd only been a few minutes late, and it wasn't exactly like it was his fault, not that Eren was aware of that fact. He seemed to be making judgments about his character without knowing shit about him, and that ticked him off a little. Weren't lawyers supposed to learn all the facts before judging? Wasn't that the entire fucking point of the judicial system?

Eren held his office door open and gestured Levi inside, stepping in after him and shutting the door softly. He jutted his chin in the direction of a chair placed in front of his desk. "Please have a seat."

Doing as asked, Levi sat, deciding that it was pretty comfortable and had to be on the pricier end of the spectrum. He leaned back, resting his ankle casually over his knee and tossing his arm over the back of it. The lawyer eyed him, thinking that he looked every bit the poster boy for standoffish and possessing an easy confidence. He moved around his desk and sat in his leather swivel chair, gathering a notebook and a pen before flipping to a blank page.

"Let's get this over with and skip the pleasantries, kid. I've got shit to do and fucking no time to do it," Levi announced suddenly in the quiet room, checking the time on his phone. "Hopefully this isn't a waste of time," he muttered.

The younger man's eye twitched with irritation; he set his jaw and spoke sharply through clenched teeth. "I'm going to be very up front with you. We are going to do this consultation, because you're paying me for it and you've already taken up a valuable timeslot I could have used for something far more productive. Instead of wasting my time and kicking you the fuck out of my office for being an absolute asshole like I  _want_  to, I'm going to hear you out, and then you're going to leave. I'm not going to take your case."

Levi raised a brow and looked up at Eren with a scrutinizing expression, his nose wrinkling up. "You know, you are nothing like what they say in all those articles. Compassionate my fucking ass. Definitely not a saint, either." His tone was very conversational, but his slate eyes were cold and hardened like glass. "So this  _is_  a waste of my time," he sighed. "Fucking perfect. I'm going to murder Hange."

"Hard to have compassion for a prick with no consideration to other people's schedules," Eren shot back, and the smaller male gave him an appraising look. "So hurry the fuck up, I have more important cases and clients to take care of today."

"Shitty brat," Levi sucked his teeth, crossing his arms and cocking his head to the side. "I've got three charges I need Trost Police Department to drop. Two weren't my fault, and the other is a gross exaggeration. If word gets out about this, it'll affect my career and the people that I work with. I'd rather it not come to that, and prison life really doesn't suit me."

"Would you care to explain in more depth, Mr. Ackerman?" The words may have been professional, but the tone used was anything but polite. He had a sneer on his lips, and seemed to assume that Levi was surely guilty of said charges without knowing anything of the circumstances, and was only trying to buy his way out of a well-deserved sentence.

Keeping his expression blank came easy to him, and he spoke with a monotony that a serial killer would be envious of. "Driving while intoxicated, possession of narcotics, and public indecency," he held up his fingers as he listed them off, and when Eren gave him a questioning stare, he continued to elaborate. "I had a few drinks, decided to hook up with some drunken pretty boy, and got in the driver's seat. The plan was to take his ass to a hotel, fuck like animals, and then go home to shower until my skin rubbed off. Unfortunately, shit-for-brains was holding and decided my moving car was the perfect place to do a line. Let me fucking tell you, if I knew that this fucker was going to be holding anything more than my cock, I wouldn't have even let the shitstain in my car."

Eren's lips twitched fractionally, though he fought to keep his expression neutral. While this Levi character was brash and abrasive, and came off as an utter bastard, his manner of speaking was pretty... interesting, to say the least. Levi didn't come off as a guy who cracked jokes, but his brutally honest delivery combined with his deadpan expression made Eren want to break into a smile and laugh.

"I'm already planning on dropping this ballsack off somewhere and going home because I'm softer than a baby's ass and really not into drugs or fucking a guy high out of his mind, but pretty boy has other plans. He manages to get my dick out of my pants and I'm swerving all over the road even though I'm very not drunk. This gets me pulled over and taken in to the station."

"Okay, so," the lawyer starts, pausing as he finishes scrawling something in his notebook. "What brought about the charges being placed? Were you over the legal limit?"

Levi runs a hand back through his hair, displacing the strands and managing to look effortlessly attractive. "The officer took one look at me when I rolled the window down, saw my flaccid dick and a bag of coke in this guy's hand, and hauled me out of my window. The look on his face would have been priceless if he wasn't a raging homophobe." The raven-haired man gives a disgusted sneer, recalling the absolute revulsion and hate plastered all over Officer Grabby's face.

"What makes you think that?" Eren questions, his brows furrowing as he taps the pen against the wood of his desk.

"Take your pick: the aggressive and repeated use of the word 'faggot', the fact that I had done nothing but greeted him after rolling my window down and he thought it appropriate to remove me from my vehicle by force without reading me my Miranda rights, or the way he spit on me when he had me pinned on the ground in handcuffs and called me a 'disgusting cocksucker'." Levi studied the free edges of his nails casually, the hard edge to his voice and callous light in his eyes the only source of how livid the experience had truly left him.

"I... Wow, I can't wrap my head around that." The younger man leaned back, letting his pen fall onto his desk, and his expression took on a pensive shadow, his lips pulling down into a frown.

"I'm pretty sure Cokehead got it worse. He tried to run when I got cuffed, and earned a few good kicks to the ribcage." He went silent then, brooding on the entire experience. He had left these details out when explaining to Hange; Levi didn't really have a choice in that matter, or else Hange would be joining him in prison with a murder on her hands. When he had come out as bisexual all those years ago, she was his most hostile defender. This wasn't his first case of discrimination, and it surely wouldn't be the last, but a few had landed assholes in the hospital because when Hange flew into a rage, it was  _dangerous._  He never wanted to get on her bad side. She was annoying and cheerful and sweet, until someone pushed the wrong button. Hange could strike fear into the hearts of tougher men than him.

After a few moments of a heavy, awkward silence, Levi broke it. "As for my BAC, I was a cool 0.02%. Wasn't even touching the legal limit. The possession charge was fucking retarded, because they tested me, and I came up clean as fuck. I wasn't even the fucktard holding the damn bag. I'm pretty sure they found even more on the actual cokehead, go figure, right?"

Eren hummed in response, swiveling slowly from left to right in his chair as he mulled everything over and processed the information. One thing stuck out to him, having been glossed over, and he focused his eyes on the man in front of him. "So, wait. Why did he bring out the narcotics and your, ah...  _member_... at the same time? It seems like it would be pretty difficult to snort coke and suck something in tandem."

"That—" the singer started, but cut off abruptly and dropped his gaze. While avoiding looking at the lawyer, he muttered something under his breath. His porcelain cheeks flushed a pretty pastel pink, and his brows screwed up in what Eren thought to be embarrassment.

He was intrigued; this entire time, Levi had exactly no filter, saying whatever came into his head unedited. He seemed to lack any shame and possessed no shreds of decency, so what about this could have him actually appearing embarrassed?

"I'm sorry? I didn't quite catch that, Mr. Ackerman," he prompted, leaning forward more in his seat.

 _"Christ,_  kid," Levi groaned, dry washing his face before peeking over his fingertips towards the hot as fuck lawyer. "This shit is so much easier to say to your best friend who's seen you at your lowest while fucking buzzed and exhausted." He took a deep breath and released a long-suffering sigh, dropping his hands into his lap.

"Well?"

"...He wanted to do a line," the older man hedged, tensing his shoulders slightly.

"And?" Eren pressed, leaning so heavily forward that his chest rested against mahogany.

"Tch." Levi bared his teeth in a displeased scowl. "He wanted to do a line off of my fucking dick."

"Oh." The younger man blinked turquoise eyes slowly, sitting back as he replayed the words in his head.  _"Oh."_

"I wasn't going to  _let him_ ," he stressed at the odd look that Eren was giving him, like he was evaluating him in a new and unwanted light. "I have more fucking class than that, shitty brat."

"I knew that," the lawyer spit out defensively, a gorgeous blush decorating his tan cheeks. Damn, this fucking kid was hotter than should be legal. It was really too fucking bad that he had already refused to take his case, because he really wanted to secretly drool over this Greek Adonis of a lawyer.

Levi snapped his thoughts out of that direction, eyeing the picture of a pretty blonde woman with glacier blue bedroom eyes sitting on Eren's desk. "Is that your wife?"

Eren jerked like he'd been slapped at the sudden question, his eyes suddenly drawn to the frame that he'd forgotten was there. "Uh, girlfriend," he corrected. Levi frowned excessively before turning to the other picture frame, studying the three people featured. The man was clearly Dr. Grisha Jaeger, a stern expression on his bespectacled face, and the shorter, softer woman on his left was undoubtedly Eren's mother. She was certainly beautiful, and Eren resembled her more so than he did his father, although neither of them had eyes quite like his. Grisha's were a muted hazel, and Carla had caramel-brown irises. The third figure in the picture was a girl; she looked about high school age, and she had the most vibrant red hair he'd ever seen. Her eyes held the closest relation to Eren's, fierce, bright green, lit up with a determined fire. Her shirt drew his attention; she was wearing No Name's first band shirt, with Levi himself wrapped up in bandages in full display. A smirk curled his lips; this girl was probably the lawyer's little sister, and she was a fan of his. It gave him an idea he just had to execute.

He straightened up, turning his gaze back onto Eren. "Before I escort myself out, I propose a trade of information."

"Uh," Eren hesitated, giving Levi a suspicious once-over. "Explain?"

"It's purely because I'm fucking curious, but I doubt you'd answer my question without me telling you a secret of mine." The older man rolled his neck to loosen it up, giving him a moment to reject the notion or let his own curiosity get the better of him.

"...Fine. What do you want to ask?" Clearly, curiosity had won the war, though he didn't sound pleased by that fact.

"Your eyes. I saw a picture of you, and one of them was gold. Was that a contact?" The singer wasted no time, bluntly asking his burning question as he leaned slightly forward.

Eren blanched, cursing himself for wanting to know what Levi's secret could possibly be. "It's actually gold. I'm wearing a contact right now because I hate the attention and it's painfully sensitive to light."

"Shit, really? I thought it might be photoshop, but the dullness of your left eye made me reconsider that. Can I see?" Levi asked, his slate eyes laser-focused on Eren's teal ones.

"What part of 'I hate the attention' did you not understand? Or do you just not give a shit?" Eren grumbled, frowning in an almost pouty manner.

"The latter, obviously. Now show me," the singer didn't even miss a beat, snapping his fingers for the brunet to hurry the hell up.

"Fuck no, tell me your secret first. That was the deal," the lawyer stated diplomatically, shooting Levi a dirty and accusing look.

"Fucking brat," he grumbled. "Your cutie little sister there?" He pointed at the picture for emphasis. "I'm the man on her shirt."

Eren blinked, before widening his eyes and dropping his jaw. He snatched up the picture frame, studying Isabel's shirt, before comparing it to the man sitting in front of him. There were clear differences, obviously; L was blindfolded and most of his features were obscured, but there were also uncanny similarities. Apart from the commanding, sultry slate bedroom eyes and thin black brows, they shared those same sexy pouty lips, porcelain skin that seemed to lack flaws, and possessed a delicate femininity while still maintaining a masculine aura; the epitome of androgyny the whole band strives for. Their slight, slender frames were identical, as were their compact muscular builds. Eren wasn't sure how tall L was, but he knew that he was shorter in stature from how much Isabel went on about him, and Levi fit the bill there. The most telling feature was his hair: inky black locks falling into his face, parted off-center towards the left, and a well-maintained undercut. This wasn't just some regular rich asshole that came into his offices on the daily, this was fucking L from  _No Name_ , androgynous sex god that fucking oozed seduction. He had L sitting in  _his_ office. This aesthetically pleasing man was a famous fucking singer.

_Isabel is so not going to fucking believe me._

"Holy shit," he breathed out, still in shock. "No fucking way."

"Fucking  _way_ , kid." Levi smirked at the reaction he'd gotten out of Eren; clearly his sister wasn't the only fan in the Jaeger family. His phone chirped, and his smirk dropped as an irritated growl rumbled in his throat. He pulled it out of his pocket to see that Eyebrows had shot him an angry text message wondering where the hell he was. He quickly sent a reply of  _'retract your panties out of your asscrack, I'm on my way, I got caught up.'_  With a sigh, he pocketed it. "Hate to cut this short, brat, but I've got to go back to the studio. My manager can't stop riding my fucking ass. I'll have a check dropped off for the consultation."

As he went to stand, Eren shot up and gripped onto his wrist to stop him. "Wait." Levi gave him a withering look, but he stubbornly refused to let the other man go while he rounded the desk. "You're an ass, and I don't want to work with you. But... If you were somehow to get some tickets to your next concert for my sister Izzy, I might be more willing to negotiate taking on your case."

Levi's eyes narrowed into slits as he regarded the lawyer hanging onto his arm. His tone was absolutely drenched in disbelief. "Are you... are you fucking blackmailing me into bribing you?"

"That depends... is it working? Because if so..." he trailed off, a shit-eating grin overtaking his features and making his face look surprisingly boyish and deviously sexy at the same time.

"...what kind of lawyer  _are_  you?"

"The kind that's going to save your ass if you play your cards right."

The impish light in his eyes drew a little half-smirk to his lips, and he chuckled dryly. "Shit, kid. You've got my hands tied. I'll even go so far as to get VIP tickets for you and your sister. If..." He trailed off, waiting for Eren to take the bait and make an impatient noise. "If you show me your eye right now."

"You're an asshole, you know that?" Eren groused, letting go of his arm to pry his contact out of his eye.

"The asshole that's scoring you  _free VIP tickets._  Now quit your bitching," Levi huffed, his eyes never leaving Eren's face.

As the contact came out and the brunet blinked to clear his vision, Levi's eyes widened and he leaned closer. The contrast was so striking and gorgeous; the gold stood out against his caramel skin, and the long black lashes framing his lids made the molten amber all the more vibrant.

"Not bad," he muttered to himself, grey irises flicking back and forth between that impossible swirl of greens and blues to the gilded eye.

Eren flushed at the comment, all too used to being called repulsive and ugly because of his heterochromia. "Thanks," he said hesitantly, slipping the contact back in.

While he was preoccupied with that, Levi snapped out of his daze and stepped over to the desk, picking up the pen to jot his number down on the open notebook. "Get ahold of me when we can schedule another appointment. I'll bring the tickets then. And I'm going to tell the same thing to you that I did to Hange." He spun on his heel and faced the younger man, his expression severe. "If you even dare to breathe a word of this situation of mine to my manager Erwin, on the off chance that you two should meet, I will end you before he can end me. Until this shitshow is in the past and charges are dropped, he's to be kept in the dark. Got it, kid?"

Eren sneered, baring his teeth and seeming entirely unruffled by the threat of bodily harm. "Got it,  _old man_."

"...Shitty brat," he huffed, rolling his eyes. Secretly, he was pleased that Eren could dish out whatever he was served. It made for a more interesting conversation, and he hated people that couldn't take a few barbs.

A damn shame the lawyer was straight, because he'd have already talked himself into his pants. He exited the office without so much of a goodbye, trying to ignore the buzzing of his phone. The receptionist called out a cheery goodbye to him, and he raised his hand up in a half-assed wave, striding out of the main entrance. Once he was situated in his car, he heaved the biggest sigh of his life, and braced himself for the onslaught of an angry Erwin tearing him a new asshole while he lied on the fly about where he was.

Back in his office, Eren was staring down at his notebook, eyes trailing over the digits written there. Levi had come in and elicited such an array of emotions in just a single hour that he had whiplash. Even though he was so abrasive and brash, Eren found himself enjoying the man's manner of speech and abrupt sense of humor. He was a breath of fresh air the way he refused to hold back and pretty up his words to be palatable to others.

With his expertise, this case would be a no-brainer; it would be easy for him to get the charges dropped, what with all the circumstantial evidence, and the fact that there was sure to be evidence of the officer exercising unlawful force in the form of the cruiser's dash cam.

He took out his cellphone and saved the number under  _Shortstack Asshole_ , before shooting him a text.  _'I propose we threaten a lawsuit; let's discuss during our next meeting. Does Thursday evening work for you?'_

He waited for a response, and after a few minutes went by, his phone vibrated.  _'Make it 8pm and I'll be there.'_

With that decided, Eren settled back in his chair, closing the notebook and slipping it into a desk drawer. His office phone buzzed, and Historia's voice came through, stating that his next appointment had arrived. He cracked his knuckles, ready to get the day over with. He found himself looking forward to Thursday night, even though not even an hour before he was completely against this case.

He dismissed the thought as a knock sounded at his door, and he called out for them to enter.

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> There you have it! I'm stoked to get the ball rolling. This chapter was super fun to write. What are your thoughts? Did you enjoy their first meeting? Was their interaction everything you hoped for? Let me know in the comments! I love you guys and I thank you for the support and continued reading of this story. Let me know what you hope happens next! Also, this turned out a bit longer than the others, which pleases me immensely.


	5. You're Asking Too Many Questions When I Can't Feel My Dick

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> Hello, hello, hello! I'm dropping the fifth installment of the story, yay! I had planned to have more happening in this chapter, but I got pretty descriptive, and this chapter is already longer than each of the previous ones, so my plans must wait! Also, it feels like forever since I've been able to write and post (even though, really, it hasn't been that long), because work is a drag. So even though I work tomorrow, and Wednesday/Thursday are my days off, I stayed up just to compose this chapter. I will be writing on my days off as well (because I have the next few chapters laid out and I have no self control). So perhaps I might be updating again soon? We'll see!  
> Please enjoy this chapter, I had a lot of fun writing it! Deepest apologies for any errors-grammatical or otherwise! Unbeta'd and quickly skimmed.

The rest of recording that day had been brutal. Erwin was pissed off that Levi had been late returning to the studio after his "errands", and was even moreso irked that he wasn't privy to whatever they were. So true to his slave-driving nature, he kept making them take things from the top over and over again, until Levi felt like his vocal cords were raw and bleeding. He even made them stay until 2 in the morning, announcing that he was finally satisfied by the production of the songs. Hange had to have a death grip on the lead singer to prevent him from shoving his foot so far up Shitbrow's ass he could taste the leather of his boots. On their way to the car, he kept muttering under his breath about Eyebrow's blatant disregard for their hectic schedule tomorrow; they had to be up in four hours to head into a photoshoot for a magazine interview. Not to mention every single other interview they had to attend the following day. There would be countless costume changes, makeup applied and removed only to be redone; Levi's skin already ached at the thought.

Did Levi mention how fucking idiotic he was to agree to meet with Eren tomorrow evening? He already felt like he was going to die. The lack of sleep was going to make him an even bigger asshole than normal, and reduce his already flimsy brain-to-mouth filter; the caffeine in his tea might not suit his needs, but he wouldn't touch coffee or, god forbid, energy drinks. He may have been looking forward to meeting with the lawyer, for a number of reasons, but he almost regretted agreeing so readily. Unfortunately, he needed those charges dropped as soon as possible, so he really couldn't afford to sit on it. Levi blew a big fat metaphorical goodbye kiss to his precious sleep.

By the time the bandmates got home from the studio, they were both dragging their feet heavily. The raven-haired male wanted to positively drop, and never move again, but he had never gotten to fill Hange in on the day's consultation. He could practically  _feel_  the curiosity rolling off of her, and was secretly impressed that she hadn't started questioning him the moment they slid into the car. Levi gracefully flopped onto the couch in their living room, immediately pulling his legs up and crossing them on the cushion. After Hange flicked on a lamp, she joined him, practically launching herself onto the loveseat and sprawling out wildly. She stared at him with keen chocolate irises, a wobbly smile threatening to spread out on her cheeks, but she tried her best to keep her composure and be patient.

With a sigh, he leaned his head back and gave her a hard stare. "I know you want to fucking ask, so do us both a favor and spit it out."

"How did it go!?" She blurted, not hesitating in the least when given full permission. "What was he like in person? He seemed so polite over the phone! And his voice! Talk about sexy." Hange leered at her roommate, giving a rakish chuckle. "Did you try to fuck him?"

"Okay, first; you didn't tell me you spoke to him personally! You only mentioned his little receptionist-who is revoltingly cheerful, if you must know. And secondly,  _no_  I did not try to fuck him. He's straight and is dating some chick." Levi worked carefully to keep the bitterness out of his voice; all the smoking hot dudes were always straight.

"You want to fuck him though," Hange sing-songed, reaching up to poke Levi's cheek. He swatted her hand away and didn't bother trying to deny it; she was right, and he wasn't going to try and fail miserably at lying to her. "So?! How was he?"

"So  _not_  fucking polite. He refused to help me, at first. Told me I was basically a waste of time but he didn't want his time to be even more of a waste by kicking me out. Tch. Fuckin' brat." Levi scowled, irritation seeping over his skin at the memory.

"HAH! I bet you pissed him off by being your cute blunt little self."

"I have a winning personality, fuck you very much," he stated with a sneer, clearly joking. He knew his attitude and way of handling people left much to be desired. Whilst most people handled others carefully and with care, he handled every interaction with all the grace of a drunk horse with a bucket on its head trying to compete in a rodeo. Very, very poorly, but comically enough that Hange always laughed her ass off.

"Sooooo. You said 'at first'. How did you convince him? Did you suck his dick!?" She squealed with excitement, sitting up and shoving her face up close to his, manic grin on her lips and eyes wild. "Lemme smell your breath to check."

Levi groaned, using both hands to shove her face away. "You are so fucking disgusting I could hurl.  _I did not suck his fucking dick, even if I really wanted to._  Nothing even remotely sexual happened. Jesus Christ, were you  _raised_  in a gutter?"

"Leeeeeviiiiii," the woman whined, her voice rising high and falling into a nasally tone. "Tell me! Tell me, tell me,  _tell me!_ "

"Settle the fuck down, bitch, holy fuck." He gripped onto her shoulders to stop her from bouncing around. "I saw a picture of his family, with his little sister wearing our first shirt. So I mentioned who I was, and I found out that the little shit is also a fan. Instead of outright offering to help after that, though, he blackmailed me into bribing him with VIP tickets."

"NO FUCKING WAY!" Hange screamed, curling in on herself as a laughing fit overtook her. "Holy fuck, I love him already." She leaned into Levi, holding her stomach and trying to calm down, giggling every now and then. "I bet you absolutely adore his ass."

"Yeah, he's a real fuckin' peach. Such a sweet kid," he cooed mockingly with a sneer. "At least he has balls and dishes back out the shit he's served. I was pretty fucking impressed."

Hange smiled widely, her head resting on her roommate's shoulder. "I want to meet him."

"You'll get to, if he comes to our next concert. Think you can snag some tickets from Eyebrows without him noticing? Can't have him trying to shove his fingers into all the pies before my charges are dropped. I kind of like living." He rested his cheek atop the crown of her head, fighting a yawn as his eyes drifted shut.

"You got it, grumpy. I'm your girl," she trailed off on her own obnoxious yawn, blindly dragging the throw blanket off the back of the couch to cover them with. "Alarm set?" she mumbled, already half-asleep with her glasses askew on her face.

Levi merely grunted in confirmation, using the last of his energy to set her glasses on the end table and turn off the lamp. They were both out within minutes, curled into each other on the couch, with her soft snores and his quiet breathing intermingling.

* * *

Music plays quietly, giving the office a much more comfortable feel; Eren is leaning over his desk, packing up the work that he needs to bring home into his briefcase. He hums along softly to the catchy tune, his head bobbing slightly as he shuffles a stack of papers before laying them inside the bound leather. A knock at his door startles him out of his thoughts, and he pauses in his actions, looking up at the wood with a confused frown. The firm has been closed for over an hour now, and all of his employees should have already headed out for the day. After a moment's hesitation, he calls out that the door is unlocked, and that they can let themselves in.

The soft  _click_  of the latch sounds as the handle is turned, and the door opens to reveal Annie. Her platinum blonde hair is done up in intricate little braids, pulled back into a bun, and her fringe hangs over one icy blue eye. She's wearing a very modest sundress, the white cotton laying nicely, without hugging her frame too tightly. Her father would probably keel over if she ever wore anything too revealing, and really, she herself wasn't the type to like that sort of thing. Where Eren differed from his parents' conservative views and beliefs greatly, Annie was very much like-minded with them and her own parents. She was an extremely devout Christian, her belief in God never once wavering, and she never had any internal struggles when it came to obeying her parents.

"Annie, I didn't expect to see you tonight," Eren said, finding his voice shortly after the surprise at seeing her fled his body. He gave her a small smile, rounding his desk so that they were closer.

"Well, it's been a while since we've been able to see one another, and I've missed you." She returned his smile, although hers was much more subtle and demure, and her eyes were cast below his face.

He had to suppress the urge to sigh or roll his eyes. Her parents' teachings were very much ingrained into her, so much so that sometimes he wanted to shake sense into her.  _'We're equals, Annie. You can look me in the fucking eyes,'_  he wanted to say. Instead, he held his tongue.

"I'm glad you stopped by. I haven't been able to get ahold of you, and I wanted to tell you in person rather than over voicemail. My mom and dad want to have us over for dinner this Saturday. Is your schedule open?" He shut his briefcase after making sure he had everything, locking all the paperwork safely inside.

She gave a small hum. "I'll be sure it's cleared. I'd love to see Carla and Grisha outside of church. Speaking of, Eren; you haven't come the last few Sundays..." Annie trailed off, a frown curling her lips down slightly, her tone sounding disapproving.

"I do apologize for that; work has been taking up a lot of my time lately. The influx I've had of clients recently has been a little hard to balance. I'll get it sorted out soon enough," he responded, trying to sound as contrite as possible. He really didn't care all that much if he missed a few days, even though everyone else disapproved. He'd have to be careful and continue to attend regularly, or else his parents would be disappointed. He was sure that Reverend Leonhart would be pissed off and either try and sever their relationship, or get his parents to be more strict with him.

"Be sure that you do; there is always time for God." Her tone suggested that she didn't approve in the least of his excuse, and it made sense why. She was a beloved, high profile actress and was consistently busy, but she never once missed a single Sunday service.

Eren rubbed at his left eye, trying to blink away the dryness. He huffed in minor annoyance; after he'd taken the contact out to appease Levi, it had been bothering him on and off for the rest of the day. Making a mental note to start carrying a bottle of solution around with him, he picked up his briefcase in one hand and walked over to Annie, offering his free hand to her.

Giving an apologetic smile when she reached out and twined their fingers together, he led them over to the door and walked out with her. "I promise you'll be seeing me at Sunday service as soon as I get a handle on everything."

Humming her approval, she tightened her grasp on his hand and walked gracefully at his side, keeping a respectful distance between the two of them. Once exiting through the front doors, Eren pulled them carefully to a stop, set his briefcase on the ground, and locked up the office. He picked the leather case back up and dutifully escorted Annie to her car.

She turned to face him, giving him her barely-there smile, and tilted her chin up slightly. "I'll see you Saturday."

Leaning down, Eren placed a brief, chaste kiss to the corner of her lips, giving her slender fingers a soft squeeze. "I'll pick you up around seven."

"I can't wait," Annie responded, releasing their handlock and turning to unlock her car. After she climbed inside and started the vehicle, Eren stepped back to let her back out, watching her pull out of the lot and head down the street.

Feeling oddly drained from the interaction, the brunet signed heavily and trudged over to his car. He slipped in, tossing his briefcase into the passenger seat and surely shaking up its contents. Eren leaned his head against the steering wheel and closed his eyes, taking slow, deep breaths. He found himself dreading Saturday just as much as he wasn't looking forward to rearranging his Sunday schedule to make it to church in order to appease both his girlfriend and parents. There was far too much on his plate, but he was nothing if not determined not to be a disappointment. Just as he'd always done, he would continue to be the perfect son and an upstanding member of the community. Maybe he'd have to start working well into the evenings in order to attend Sunday services. Whatever needed to be done, he would do.

With that resolved, he lifted his head up and opened his eyes, starting his car, and making his own way home. All he wanted right now was to curl up in bed and relax. His desire was strong enough to make him drive that much faster just to make it home even a few moments sooner.

* * *

It's six-fucking-thirty in the god forsaken morning, and Levi wants nothing more than to kill himself. At least death would embrace him with eternal sleep. He's currently nursing the biggest cup of tea in existence, glowering mutinously at anyone who dares stare too long or get too close. The short man is absolutely fuming and cursing Eyebrows out in his head with as many colorful and creative expletives as he can come up with while lacking a fully functioning brain. They mostly consist of  _shit, fuck,_  and a variety of objects his manager could shove up his ass in replacement of the stick he's got jammed up there, that perhaps might make him all the more pleasant and much less of an absolute slave-driver.

Hange is slouching heavily in her chair, moaning and whining about how fucking tired she is; his bandmate wails her misery as a makeup artist tries to coax her into sitting up. The artist is fluttering about uselessly, trying to be consoling, and also looking increasingly frustrated. If he were in a better mood—or better yet, a decent fucking human being—he'd take pity on the poor stylist and snap at Hange to behave like the 28 year old that she is rather than her fucking shoe size. Unfortunately for the makeup artist, Levi is anything but a decent human being, and he's getting a sick joy out of watching her struggle with his roommate, his mood improving only slightly at her frustrations.

His own artist is putting the finishing touches on his smoked-out liner, while the hairstylist is straightening his inky hair and arranging it in an artful mess. Why the fuck he needs to wear  _eye makeup_  when he's only going to cover them in leather straps is fucking lost on him, but he really doesn't fucking feel like conversing with the idiots working on him in order to figure it out, let alone his dickhole of a manager. The makeup artist accidentally jabs his cheek with her obscenely long nail, and he levels her with his most hateful, intimidating deathglare, willing her to spontaneously combust on the spot. She visibly shrinks back and into herself, sputtering out apologies and tripping over her tongue in an effort to get them out. He almost wishes that he could reduce her to an inconsolable crying mess, wanting nothing more than for her to piss herself in fear for his amusement.

Unluckily for him, Erwin is her saving grace; the blond giant steps into view, carrying a small case in his hands. He places it on Levi's crossed legs, giving the shorter man his most chilling, threatening smile that doesn't reach his eyes. The raven-haired male glances down at the small package, his expression bored and unaffected by the intimidating man. He scrutinizes it, before flicking his gaze back up to his manager, raising a questioning brow.

"L, these are contacts. You need to put them in, because the photographer wants one of your eyes artfully exposed for the magazine spread. H will have the opposite eye exposed, and M will have his fully covered. Am I understood?" The thinly veiled danger in his tone of voice was palpable, and Levi merely shrugged in acknowledgement.

"Whatever; like I fucking give a flying shit." Waving a hand dismissively in the air, he shooed the two stylists that were assigned to him before carefully opening the case. He frowned when he saw that the contacts were pitch black scleras. He absolutely  _loathed_  these particular types of contacts; they were a bitch to put in and they were highly uncomfortable.

With a long-suffering sigh, he flipped off Erwin before gazing into his vanity mirror and proceeding to painstakingly work the black disc into his eye. It took several long minutes and an abundance of contact solution, but he finally widened his lids enough to shove the damn lense into his right eye. Blinking furiously, he tilted his head back to stop his eye from running and ruining his makeup, not out of consideration for the artist, fuck no, but just so he wouldn't have to endure any more of the fucking shit being smeared on his face. Once the excess moisture was gone, he dropped his head back down and studied his reflection in the mirror with a frown. He didn't look bad at all; they'd done a pretty okay job, and the sclera added a whole new layer of creepy.

His roommate had more success with hers; she got it into her eye relatively easily within just a few minutes, and was over at his side before he could even blink, leaning in close to his face. Her sclera was white as snow and stood out starkly against her creamy skin. He hated to admit it, even to himself, but the photographer really knew what he was talking about. Their spread was going to be striking, and he knew that their exposed eyes were going to contrast beautifully to draw in attention.

"Time to get into costume, little grumpy," Hange cooed, drawing him out of his thoughts, and he bared his teeth in an ugly sneer.

"Weren't you just bitching and moaning about being tired? Why're you so fucking cheery now, shitty glasses?" He quirked a brow at her, tilting his head back cockily as he crossed his arms. She certainly changed her tune fast enough in true manic fashion.

"Because Erwin threatened that the next time he treats everyone to dinner, I will be forced to run laps until everyone is finished eating and miss out on delicious food if I didn't stop," was her answer, said equally as cheerfully as her previous statement. He rolled his eyes; of  _course_  Hange wouldn't want to miss out on free food.

Sliding out of his chair, Levi headed over to the racks of clothing with his bandmate, Miche joining them shortly after. The three of them stood near one another as several stylists rushed around them like headless chickens, holding up outfit after outfit and bickering back and forth. One of the men was comparing a set of leather straps to ones made of PVC; he kept bringing them close to Levi's face, gauging the way they'd look against his skin. The stylist finally settled on the polyvinyl set, yelling to his coworkers the material they needed to incorporate into his outfit.

Levi was shoved into a pair of tight black pants that reflected the light and hugged every curve and dip in his flesh, showcasing his ass. Polyvinyl chloride was one of  _the_  most uncomfortable materials to be encased in, sitting just below latex and right above tweed. Any article of clothing composed of PVC was entirely too tight, always making his skin scream in suffocation, not to fucking mention that it held his genitals in a crushing vice-like grip. He clenched his jaw, ignoring the painful squeeze of the PVC pants, refusing to voice any complaints based on pride alone. The army of stylists clad his chest in a variety of harnesses and straps, draping a leather jacket over his shoulders. He stepped into a pair of knee-high platformed combat boots, allowing one of the stylists to lace them up tightly while he pulled fingerless gloves with brass knuckles onto his hands. Another stylist was working to secure the PVC blindfold and straps to his face, making sure that just enough of his right eye was exposed.

Where his outfit was entirely black and made of hideously uncomfortable material, Hange was forced into an all-white get up made of velvet and silk. Unlike him, she was completely comfortable in PVC, latex, and tight leather; however, the texture of velvet made her skin crawl. His roommate looked like she was torn between clawing her own skin off or shredding the fabric up into unusable tatters, revolted shudders rolling through her body. Hange was barely managing to keep her composure, the silken blindfold wound around her face artfully masking the majority of her discomfort. They had her dressed in a cropped velvet jacket, silk bralette, and high-waisted shorts that matched the jacket. Thigh high socks sat snugly on her legs, and heeled ankle boots completed her look.

Miche wore varying shades of grey, giving No Name an entirely monochromatic color scheme, which in all reality suited them just fine. He was the only one wearing a suit, although they had skipped a dress shirt altogether and left the jacket unbuttoned, exposing his muscular chest. One of the stylists draped an excessively long tie over his neck after wrapping it carefully over his eyes to keep them hidden from view. A makeup artist was busying herself with slathering baby oil over his muscles so that the lights would catch and reflect off of his torso and make his taut musculature glisten. Levi suppressed the urge to roll his eyes so far back in his head that they got stuck; the fangirls were certainly going to drool over the issue of this magazine.

After all three of them were fully dressed and accessorized, they were called out by the photographer to begin the shoot. They moved in unison to stand in front of the backdrop whilst orders were barked out about their positioning. Levi was pretty fucking sure that his dick was rapidly losing circulation, and his nuts felt like they were forcefully receding back into his body. If someone were to ask him to sing one of his songs right now, he was so fucking certain that his voice would rise to impossible octaves and he'd sound like a little choirboy whose balls had yet to drop. He grit his teeth and ignored the extremely unpleasant sensation, focusing as hard as he could on the shouted commands and praise, trying to move as fluidly and gracefully as possible. If one of his nuts popped the way they felt like they were threatening to, he swore on his fucking life that he'd wring the necks of every single shitty stylist, and then go back in time to beat the shit out of the inventor of PVC. Posing effortlessly with mistakes few and far between, the shoot was over in the blink of an eye; Levi had been so consumed in the directions and moving his body that he'd been able to forget how tired he was—even momentarily forgetting the chaffing and constricted pains of his cock. With the photoshoot called to an end, his exhaustion hit him all at once, and he felt his knees wobble from the heaviness of his body. With a muffled groan, he strode over to a plush couch where a few more natural and relaxed pictures would be taken whilst the band talked with the interviewer. His dick was alarmingly numb now, and he kept shifting as subtly as possible to try and relieve his balls, as well as in hopes to bring feeling back into his poor fucking cock. Male anatomy was not fucking meant to be shoved into this dreaded material like a goddamned sausage casing. The woman who would be fielding questions their way offered the three of them a smile, and without hesitation began shooting them off in rapid succession, taking diligent notes the entire time. He was having a hard time focusing, and he was pretty sure all of his shifting was rubbing his dick painfully raw.

For the millionth time that day, Levi wanted to paint the walls with his own brain matter.

* * *

 _"—a warm welcome to '_ No Name' _!"_

Eren's head snapped up from his paperwork, his eyes focusing on the small television in his office. He'd turned it on for background noise to help him focus, but the host's voice announcing Levi's band, followed by raucous cheering made him rise up from his chair, completely forgetting his work. He blindly snagged the remote, pointing it at the screen and turning the volume up, his eyes focused on the three figures walking confidently out onto the set. The studio audience only seemed to scream louder at their appearance, voices and applause melding together into an amalgamation of indecipherable noise. He watched as Levi turned his blindfolded face towards the noise, the barest sliver of an eye peeking through the bandages, and gave a sexy smirk to the camera. The crowd absolutely lost it, women and teens wailing at the tops of their lungs and making Eren wince. The band sat down on a white couch together. Levi crossed an ankle over his knee, reclining leisurely in just the same manner that he had in Eren's own office just yesterday, his arm draping over the back casually.

H—who he was now assuming was that Hange woman who Levi had mentioned and he'd spoken with to set up the consultation—sat in the middle, bringing her feet up to rest on the glas coffee table in front of them, her ankles crossing as she nestled back into the cushions, a huge grin splitting her face. M, who was still an unknown to the lawyer, took the very end, his knees spread apart with one arm loosely resting against a thigh, the other thrown on top of the arm of the couch. All three of them seemed to posses that easy confidence and seemed almost extraordinarily  _not_  human, far too perfect in their leisurely postures to be seen as anything but the androgynous sex gods that they were.

The studio audience was still going wild, louder than ever, completely ignoring the host's attempts to calm them and get them to quiet down. Eren watched as Levi brought a pale finger up to his pouty lips, one corner pulling up in that deviously seductive smirk—and jerked back in shock as miraculously silence immediately fell over the crowd. Once he was sure that they would remain quiet, he dropped his hand back to where it had previously rested on his bent knee, and turned his attention politely onto the host.

The man chuckled slightly, looking into the camera with an unnerved smile.  _"Well, that was certainly the warm welcome that No Name deserved. We were lucky enough to fill this week's celebrity spot with the hottest band. L, H, M; thank you for taking time out of your hectic schedules for this live interview."_

 _"Oh, it's not a problem at all! We love doing this kind of thing,"_ H singsonged, bouncing slightly in her seat.  _"It's good to be here; I've heard that getting a spot on this show is highly coveted—and extremely hard to manage."_

M hummed his agreement, tilting his head towards the host.  _"Really, we should be thanking you for extending such a gracious invitation."_

A few women in the audience squealed when he spoke, quickly hushing themselves up when Levi's head twitched in their direction. He still had yet to speak, seeming in no rush to draw attention to himself.

Eren was rather unfamiliar with whatever show this was, not recognizing the host. His eyes were too busy studying the members of No Name to really focus on the man; all three of them were dressed in smart suits, with their faces wrapped up in concealing bandages. Each had slivers of their eyes exposed, in order for them to see where the fuck they were going, he assumed. Eren squinted when the camera panned closer to Levi's face, unable to make out his silver iris beneath the wraps. Either the stylists had done them well enough to conceal it, or he was wearing some form of contacts to keep them hidden.

His attention was drawn back to the host when he began asking questions, visibly perking up as he sat down in his chair, absorbed in the show.

_"We've heard rumors about a new album; can you confirm these rumors?"_

Finally, Levi parted his lips to speak, his voice velvet-smooth and rolling off his tongue in such an illegally seductive manner that Eren was completely drawn in.  _"Actually, we can. We just wrapped up recording the last song just yesterday. Expect a full release of the EP next week, when we hold our first concert of our upcoming tour."_

 _"That's news to us! Is this your official announcement of a tour?"_ The host asked, surprise coloring his voice.

Here, H piped in excitedly, leaning forward with her ponytail swaying as she spoke.  _"We really kept it under wraps! It's a celebratory tour for releasing our 6th album. It's only a small one; we'll be hitting a few major cities at huge venues! Consider this our official announcement! Tickets, dates, and locations will go live on our website at the conclusion of this interview!"_

The crowd cheered at the announcement, excitement seeming to seep through the television, it was so palpable from the studio audience.

 _"Of course, we won't be leaving out any of our fans, whether they're able to catch this show or not. We're releasing posts all across our social media accounts right at this moment to inform all of our fans of the ticket drop."_  M added thoughtfully, his voice low and throaty as he addressed both the camera and the host.

 _"You heard it here, first, folks!"_ The host announced.  _"I don't doubt you'll sell out fast after the show ends."_

 _"You'd be correct to assume that; our fans are very dedicated!"_ H announced, grinning at the crowd.

After the audience settled down once more, the host shuffled his notecards and cleared his throat.  _"Many of your fans are dying to know; L, about your sexuality, can you explain when and how you realised you weren't straight? And can you offer up any advice to our viewers and your fans that may be in the closet?"_

Levi turned fully to face the camera, his lips drawing down into a thoughtful frown.  _"Well, the realisation of my bisexuality probably came about by the fact that I popped hard ons over both women_ and _men. I had some pretty hot and heavy makeout sessions in high school with both genders. It all kind of fell into place after that. As for advice,"_  he paused here, running his thumb along his bottom lip and giving a little hum. He dropped his hand as he leaned forward, taking on a serious demeanor.

 _"I want all of you out there to know, no matter who you are, what your sexuality is, you are_ never _alone. You shouldn't feel pressured to come out of the closet if you aren't ready, and promise me that if you ever feel like coming out would be a danger to your safety and well-being because of your environment or surroundings—_ don't _do it. I want you to stay safe. When I came out, it was in a much less accepting time; there are still people out there who are completely set in their ways, and it can still be dangerous. I don't regret being open with my sexuality, but I do wish I'd waited until I was in a safer place. I've had a lot of hate and discrimination, been in many dangerous situations, all because of who I love. Each and every one of you is important; you're never alone, and H, M, and I care about you all."_

H latched onto Levi, squeezing him tightly as she spoke up.  _"But don't hesitate to confide into those you trust; everyone needs someone who can support them and be there for them in times of need. L and I grew up together, and I'd kick anyone's ass who dared to try and cause him harm. There are people that love you no matter what, for exactly who you are. You can rely on them."_

The host looked on the two of them with a soft smile, and the audience clapped loudly, yelling  _'thank you'_ s and  _'I love you'_ s over one another. Eren felt a pang in his chest; he really wished he was surrounded by more accepting and supportive people. Sure, his college friends were much more open-minded, but having ultra-conservative parents and having to attend a pious church really weighed on him. He shared the same views as his friends, but could never voice them around his parents without fear of angering them or earning their disappointment.

The interview was far from over, but Eren turned the television off, gazing down at his wrist-watch to check the time. He had an appointment with a client soon, and a meeting with Armin to discuss the Kirchstein divorce case before 8 o'clock rolled around. He sighed, dry-washing his face and mentally shaking himself.

Only 4 hours to go, and Levi would once again be back in his office to go over his case. Eren wasn't sure if he was looking forward to the encounter—or dreading it.

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> Eren and Levi's second interaction will be in the next chapter! I was going to include it in this chapter but, wellllll. I got carried away.  
> What did you guys think? Are you enjoying the story so far? Thoughts on Eren's internal struggles? How do you think it's gonna pan out? Don't you just love Hange??? ISN'T LEVI PRECIOUS. Also, he's literally fucking me. I go through daily life just like he does: with a bad attitude, wanting to die, and imagining horrible outcomes to minor inconveniences. I am also an asshole with no filter, and I swear like a sailor :D Who else is just like Levi?  
> Levi is honestly just one big mood. Do you agree?  
> I hope I was able to make you guys laugh during some choice moments in this chapter.  
> Comment away, dear readers! I respond to every comment! Until next time.  
> Edit: last question for now, but what do you guys think about the chapter titles? I've been doing my best with them.


	6. My (Straight) Lawyer is a Cocktease

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> New chapter! Because I love you and I can't help myself. Seriously, I can't fucking help myself. You'll see what I mean. Their interactions are everything to me and so fun to write, so I really hope you enjoy this chapter. The whole thing is just Eren and Levi. And it's great. So please enjoy!!! Apologies for any errors, grammatical or otherwise; unbeta'd and I just gave it a very quick scan after spending 3-ish hours writing this.

Harsh vibrations caused the cellphone to move along the leather of the passenger seat aggressively as the screen lit up. Levi barely flicked his eyes over to it before focusing his gaze back onto the road, gripping the steering wheel with one hand. His foot inched the gas pedal down minutely, making his car purr as it picked up speed. It would come as no surprise to anyone that he was once again running late. The clock on the dash read  _8:30 p.m._  in angry red block lettering, and the man clenched his jaw in irritation. The brat was going to blow a fucking head-gasket, and the blame could all be traced back to his  _wonderful_  manager. He utterly ignored the incoming call, certain that it had to be said manager trying to reel him back into work with pretty threats of disembowelment. As far as Levi was concerned, Erwin could go fuck himself with the workload he so loved to bury the shorter man under; he was  _not_  going to miss this meeting. Tardiness couldn't be helped at this point, but he was going to fucking make it.

Barely a moment of silence passed once the call ended; his phone didn't even have time for the screen to go black before another call was sent through, the loud buzzing of vibration on leather grating on the singer's nerves. With gritted teeth, he reached a free hand over and snatched it up, sliding his thumb to the right to answer without bothering to look at the caller ID.

"Listen you motherfucking shitstain," Levi snarled into the transmitter once the phone was cradled against his ear. He refused to give Erwin even a moment to speak. "I fucking told you that I have shit to do tonight, and  _no_ , before you can even ask, it has nothing to do with my dick being sucked. So if you could stop  _riding my fucking ass raw,_  Eyebrows, I'd fuckin' appreciate it. Or else the only Christmas card your mother is getting is a fuckin' long drawn out list of why she should have aborted your ass ended with why it's  _never too fucking late._  Now, if you don't mind pissing the fuck off-" His voice had been raising in anger with every sentence; his words coming out faster in his haste to get them all out, but just before he could finish telling his manager off and dramatically hang up, a voice he didn't expect cut him off.

 _"As amusing as this all is, I don't fancy being hung up on after being a punching bag for someone else,"_  Eren breathed sarcastically, a small chuckle following his words.

Levi deflated, every bit of his irritation seeping out of him in one shocked gasp. "Shit." He pulled the phone away from his face momentarily to stare at the name plastered in the center of the screen. Glaring white letters read  _'Shitty Brat'_ , rather than the expected  _'Eyebrows'_. Bringing the cell back to his ear, his words came out with an accusing tinge. "You're not Shitbrows."

 _"And you're late,"_  the brunet retorted, his voice containing all the sass that he could muster.  _"So, unless you have a fantastic excuse as to why, I'm going home."_

The musician growled low in his throat, irritability prickling his skin. "You act like it's my life goal to inconvenience you by being late. For your fucking information, my manager is the absolute definition of fucking slave-driver. I was lucky to escape with my life from that rat bastard, and I'm already almost fucking there so  _don't you dare leave._ " Levi huffed his annoyance, trying to take a calming breath. His exhaustion was already doing a number on his mood, and the last thing he needed tonight was to absolutely lose it and ruin whatever small agreement he'd come to with the lawyer. He knew he was unpleasant and hard to deal with already, without tossing in even more of his shitty attitude.

To his surprise, Eren laughed boisterously, stunning the remaining rage out of him.  _"Calm down, old man. I'll stay put. My staff has already left for the night, so I'll be waiting in the reception area to let you in."_

"Tch." Levi sucked his teeth, a small smirk pulling at the right corner of his mouth. "All right, kid. See you in five."

The call ended, and true to his word, the singer was pulling into the parking lot five minutes later. It was empty, save for one car, which he could assume belonged to the lawyer. He let out a low whistle at the beautiful sports car, admiring it as he parked carefully next to it. Clearly Eren had quite a bit of money if he could afford a Jaguar. Didn't come as a surprise, really, considering his lineage and the fact that he regularly offered his services to high profile celebrities.

Sliding out of his own car, he pushed the door shut with his hip and locked it quickly with the fob, feet already moving him to the front doors. The younger man was in fact waiting for him, as before he'd even made it within 4 feet of the entrance, the large door was pushed open for him. Levi sped up slightly, tucking his keys into his back pocket as he waltzed up to the building. Eren was holding the door, his hand pressed into the cool metal to keep it still. The musician ducked his head and walked under the arm and made his way inside, turning to watch the lawyer pull it shut and lock it to keep out the riffraff. Once they were facing each other, Levi cocked his head to the side and let his lips widen into a salacious smirk.

"Want me all to yourself, do you?" He drawled seductively, giving an exaggerated wink.

Eren could tell by the playful light dancing in those slate eyes that the older man was joking, so with a roll of his eyes he decided to play along. After all, unlike his parents, he wasn't homophobic, and a good handful of his college friends were flirtatious gays. "You caught me red-handed. Nothing gets me hotter than going over  _your_  case, babe."

A pink flush dusted Levi's cheeks, and his mouth snapped shut loudly, his shoulders tensing up. He really hadn't expected Eren to joke around with his half-assed attempts at flirting, but that wasn't what flustered him, exactly. Nor was it the little petname (although it did make his heart stutter, but he would deny that until the day he died). The reminder of his case, and the fact that someone who was almost a complete stranger knew  _every_  detail, left him feeling slightly mortified. Mentally shaking that off, he exhaled a sharp breath through his clenched teeth.

"Don't keep me waiting, then. Take me to your office,  _stud_." He emphasized his last word with a heavy dose of sarcasm, and Eren actually laughed, a smile curling his lips up and showing off his pearly whites. Levi was irritated with how fucking perfect this straight as an arrow lawyer was. Fate was a cruel mistress, dangling someone so hot and so extremely off limits, in more ways than one, right in front of his face.

The brunet shook his head and gestured his counterpart forward with the wave of his hand, before taking off down the hall and leading the way. There was absolutely no way that Levi took advantage of that to drink in the sight of a perfect ass cradled sinfully in slacks, fuck you very much. The dim lighting in the hall didn't really help for that sort of ogling, though he wasn't squinting to try and get a better look. Nope, not at all. He wasn't a  _pervert._  Even if it was an ass that had to have been crafted by the gods themselves, and could make an atheist like himself want to fall to his knees and worship it while thanking said gods for blessing his eyes.

He'd been so distracted by his internal denial and blatant staring that when Eren stopped to open his office door, Levi ran straight into his back and stumbled slightly. He was so startled that he regrettably didn't get to register the feel of the lawyer's plump backside before he was reeling back and putting distance between them. The brunet turned to regard him with a questioning gaze, his brows furrowing slightly.

Opening his mouth, he let the first excuse that popped into his head blurt passed his lips. "It's dark so my depth perception is off." Taking a moment to thank his lucky stars that his brain had the foresight to throw up a quick filter to stop  _"Oh, sorry, I was drooling over your ass that just won't fucking quit and got caught up in imagining all of the filthy things I want to do to it"_ from coming out, he stepped past Eren and strode into the office with confidence and purpose. Like hell his pride would allow him to act like he was embarrassed from bumping into the fine piece of man that was his lawyer.

"Right," was Eren's response, his tone suggesting he didn't quite believe what Levi had said, but couldn't think of any other possibilities of what could have been the cause. Instead of questioning it further, he let it go as he pulled the door shut and moved deeper into his office, leaning against the front of his desk.

The musician sat down in the chair he'd occupied last time, crossing his legs in the seat and placing his elbow on the arm so that he could prop his chin up on his fist. He flicked his silver gaze over to regard Eren, his eyes running up and down his figure to memorize the way the suit he was wearing hugged his body. Fuck, it should be fucking  _illegal_  to look that fucking mouthwatering in a three-piece suit. Levi was absolutely certain that it was going to be 100% harder to concentrate with this hot motherfucker leaning casually against his desk like a work of art in his nearly-delirious exhausted state.

Unbeknownst to the singer, Eren was also taking a moment to study his appearance. Levi was dressed rather casually in a loose black sweater that was probably a few sizes too big, paired with sinfully tight skinny jeans that rode low on his hips. How could Eren tell beneath the fucking ocean of fabric that was the sweater, exactly? With the way his counterpart was sat, the fabric of his top was riding up on his torso, bunching together and exposing a sharp hipbone. He wore leather combat boots that looked like they had seen some shit; there were spots where fabric was worn away, although there wasn't a spec of dirt residing on the shoes. When his teal irises made their way back up to Levi's face, he had to double-take and lean forward slightly. The musician was wearing makeup. It wasn't overly done or too in your face, but the smoked out liner around his eyes made the slate irises smolder more than normal with that  _come hither_  lidded expression he always wore.

Swallowing audibly, Eren snapped his mind away from those thoughts and cleared his throat, reaching behind him to pick up a notebook. He wasn't sure how long they'd both been sitting in silence, but he refused to let the fact that he'd been staring make him feel awkward, especially considering he hadn't been caught. He flipped to a dog-eared page, looking down at the words written.

"I'm thinking we have a pretty strong case to get them to throw out the charges. That officer would be so lucky to keep his job once we threaten a lawsuit. They're not going to want this to get ugly, so they'll want to quietly bury it as fast as they can." The lawyer trailed off, bringing his gaze up to meet Levi's.

The shorter male hummed thoughtfully, leaning back in the chair and stretching his body out while he stifled a yawn. "I'm all for that. I don't need this to be a big fucking deal, either. If we can resolve this quick and painlessly, I'll be satisfied."

Eren nodded, jotting down a few notes into his notebook. "I already have your testimony; I'll get ahold of them as your lawyer and take care of the dirty work. You shouldn't have to do too much more for this to all go away."

"Thank fucking god. You really  _are_  good at your job, kid," he mused approvingly, his eyes wandering up and down the brunet as if looking at him in a new light.

"I resent that. Of course I'm fucking good," Eren sneered, closing his notebook with a snap and depositing it onto his desk. His stomach growled suddenly, making his cheeks redden into a pretty shade.

Levi smirked at the sound, rising out if the chair easily and stretching his arms over his head like a cat. With a grunt, he spun on his heel and jerked his chin towards the door. "C'mon, brat. Let's get some food. I'm fucking starving."

"I—really, it's fine. I can just go home," the youth sputtered, tripping over his words in embarrassment. Even as he argued, he quickly packed up his briefcase, his eyes flicking up to watch his counterpart linger at the open door.

The singer was leaning casually against the frame, his head cocked as he stared at Eren from underneath his lashes.  _Bedroom eyes,_  he thought subconsciously, a shudder running down his spine unbidden.

"I don't give a fuck, we're getting dinner. Besides," Levi purred, a devious smirk playing on his lips as he reached into his back pocket to pull out his keys. "I've got your tickets and I'm holding them hostage until you agree to come with me."

Eren squinted hard at the raven-haired male, his hands stilling on his briefcase. "Are you  _bribing_  me?"

At his words, a full-blown grin split Levi's lips, his white teeth glinting in the light, and he raised a single brow. "You don't get to bitch when you started that, Bright Eyes. Now let's fucking  _go_." Without waiting for an agreement, he pushed up from the door and strode confidently out of the room, already certain that the lawyer would follow.

The brunet froze completely, blushing deeply at the nickname that the singer had just called him. It made his stomach feel light and flutter in a way that was pleasantly uncomfortable, and he was utterly frazzled. A smile made its way onto his lips without him realising, and he shook his head as he shut his briefcase. He dismissed the feeling in his stomach as hunger, and he shut the lights off as he quickly walked out of his office to follow Levi.

Said man was already waiting at the front entrance, impatiently tapping his foot. Eren walked over to him and started to unlock the door. With a cheeky smirk and a mischievous glint in his eye, he leaned towards his counterpart.

"For such a short old man, you sure walk fast," he murmured close to the shell of his pale ear, before bursting out of the doors and sprinting to his car.

"You fucking brat!" Levi shouted into the crisp night air, giving chase after the taller man. "I'm going to fucking end you!" He growled, his face contorted into a playful rage.

Eren burst into pealing laughter, rounding his car to put space in between him and the raven-haired male. He quickly unlocked his car and tossed his briefcase into the backseat, before sprinting around the opposite side to hurry back to lock up the office. He could hear Levi shouting expletives behind him, both of their shoes pounding loudly on the asphalt, and he tried to jam the key into the lock as fast as he could. His knees buckled, and the keys fell from his hand as Levi landed a swift kick to the backs of his thighs. Eren had witnessed the artful little spin he'd done to swing into the powerful kick, and it had certainly been beautiful, but the entire situation made him break down into uncontrollable laughter. Gripping onto his sides, he tried to gasp for air as he curled into himself, his ribs already aching. Levi joined him, barking out breathy laughs and husky exhales of breath as he dropped down onto his ass on the concrete, leaning heavily back against the glass door.

They sat there laughing for who knows how long, until tears were pricking at Levi's eyes, and Eren was making pitiful whining sounds each time his ribs twinged with a sharp ache. It finally started to die down, heavy breathing and random giggles the only thing breaking the silence between them. Slowly, Eren sat up on his knees, drawing pained breaths as he lifted his gaze up to regard the stunning singer sitting just inches from him.

Levi turned his head, silver irises locking with turquoise, and a soft smile laid delicately on his lips. It made the breath catch in the brunet's chest; he'd never thought that Levi of all people would be capable of such a pure expression, and yet there it was.  _Breathtaking._  In true Levi fashion, though, he shattered the moment by shoving Eren's shoulder lightly, chuckling softly.

"You're such a little brat. And apparently it's contagious," the singer said with a shake of his head, amusement coloring his words, and the lawyer rolled his eyes. "Never thought I'd be running around freezing my nuts off playing around."

"Admit you had fun, you grouchy old man," Eren teased, rising to his feet and offering the other man his hands.

Levi took them gratefully and let his counterpart pull him to his feet, before he leaned down to scoop up the forgotten keys. He passed them back to Eren and allowed him to lock up, raking a hand through his mussed up inky locks. "I maybe might have enjoyed it very slightly," he retorted, earning another eyeroll. "Just get in your car and follow me, kid."

Eren shoved the shorter man with his shoulder playfully, then jogged over to his car and slid into the driver's seat. Levi followed suit, starting his own car, and pulling out of the parking lot. He checked his rearview to make sure that the brunet was still following him, and once satisfied that he was, returned his gaze to the road. The diner he wanted wasn't too far from where they were, and after taking a few turns, they were once again pulling in side by side. The older man slid out of his car and walked over to the silver Jaguar to wait impatiently for Eren to join him. He shivered in the evening chill, curling his arms around himself and burying his hands in the long sleeves of his sweater. The younger man finally stepped out of his car and strode up to him.

"About time, Jesus fuck. I'm gonna get hypothermia because of you," he grumbled, striding quickly to the diner's entrance.

The two men walked in together with Eren holding the door, and he followed the shorter man dutifully. Levi seemed to know what he was doing; he'd clearly been there before, as he led them back to a secluded booth and slipped into it. He immediately crossed his legs in his seat, something that seemed like a habit of his and was oddly cute for such an intimidating 30-something man. Eren slid in across from him, and they both grabbed menus, scanning over them absentmindedly. While they were skimming their options, a waitress dressed up in stereotypical 50's diner-wear walked up to their booth. She smiled brightly and regarded the two men, greeting them cheerfully.

"Good evening, my name is Petra, and I'll be your server tonight. It's good to see you again, Levi," she lilted, her amber gaze focusing solely on the singer.

Levi grunted in response, before her words registered and he lifted his head up to look at the girl. "I didn't realise you were working tonight, Petra." His expression was his usual blank one, though his gaze was softened quite a bit as he regarded her. Eren quietly observed the exchange, curiosity burning in his stomach.

"We need to get together soon," the girl trilled, a happy smile splitting her lips and adding to her already pretty face. "I miss Hange and the guys."

"Sounds like a plan. I'll let shitty glasses know; planning is her forte, not mine," Levi drawled, before he focused his gaze fully back onto the lawyer. "Petra, this is Eren."

Her amber gaze turned to Eren, scrutinizing him, and he was taken aback at the sudden sad light tainting them. "It's nice to meet you, Petra," he greeted politely, relaxing his grip on his menu to let it droop slightly so he could give her a charming smile.

"I hope I'm not interrupting your date," she said abruptly, her words soft and tinged with something bittersweet. "What can I get for you two?"

The brunet's cheeks lit up, a deep red spreading over them. Suddenly her out of place melancholy made a whole lot more sense. She clearly had feelings for Levi if the thought of him being on a date with someone made her sad. Not that this was a date.

"I'll take an earl grey tea, and..." Levi trailed off as he ran his finger down the menu, humming slightly. "The mushroom swiss burger basket. Add green olives and grilled onions to that. Eren?" He brought those piercing bedroom eyes back up to meet the lawyer's, and by the devious smirk on his face, he knew that he could tell he was flustered.

Fine, two could play that game. He brought his menu back up and looked over it. "A coffee; leave room for cream please," he continued looking over it, the picture of calm. Beneath the table, he daringly brought his foot up between Levi's legs, dragging the tip of his dress shoe along the man's inner thigh. He felt more than saw the singer jerk in surprise, and a victorious grin split his lips, hidden behind the menu. "I think I'll have the bacon double cheeseburger basket, make that cheddar, with all of the toppings, and a side of malt vinegar."

A low-pitched, barely there noise rumbled in Levi's throat, getting caught when he felt Eren's foot return to running along the seam of his jeans. He clenched his jaw and gripped his fists together on top of his thighs, shooting murderous glares his counterpart's way. The brat was fucking  _bold._  He'd expected him to get flustered and try to correct Petra, or be mortified that Levi hadn't bothered to because he knew it embarrassed the younger man. He had  _not_  expected to be mercilessly teased beneath the table in an act of revenge by  _a straight man._  This fucking brat was going to be the death of him.

Once Petra had taken their orders and left with promises of bringing their drinks, Eren lowered his foot (both a blessing and a curse), and dropped his menu to give a cocky look to the singer across from him. He stuck his tongue out childishly, and Levi crossed his arms petulantly, leaning forward to give a hissed whisper.

"You little fucking shit," he quietly seethed, trying to will away the interest his cock had.  _Stay down, you fuck_ , he threatened in his head.

Eren shrugged, taking on an innocent expression. "I'm not sure what you mean?" His eyes spoke volumes, seeming to revel in winning the little game he'd decided they were playing. The light in them was far from innocent, and for some reason it felt like they were holding a challenge for the singer. Which would be totally fucking impossible, because the kid was straight. Right?

Shaking those thoughts away when Petra returned with their drinks and informed them their food would be ready shortly, Levi took the moment to study the brunet across from him. He took a long sip from his tea after blowing on it, watching Eren add cream and several spoonfuls of sugar to his coffee, before stirring it carefully. He set his mug down and reached into his pocket, digging out a pair of tickets and backstage passes.

"Eren," he drawled, gaining the youth's attention before holding up the goods. "These are for the first concert in our upcoming tour. The dates are on them." Levi passed them over to his counterpart, watched as he took them and looked them over. The way his eyes lit up in excitement made his lips twitch and want to break out in a genuine smile.

The lawyer tried to keep himself calm, though he couldn't stop himself from grinning. "Thanks; my little sister is going to lose her mind. She's going to flip out knowing that she'll get to meet you."

Picking his tea back up and bringing it to his lips to hide a pleased smile, Levi hummed and took another drink. "We don't sell those, by the way."

Confusion furrowed Eren's brows, and he cocked his head to the side as he looked back down at the tickets. Of course they sold tickets, otherwise no one would be able to go to their concerts. His lips were pulled down into a frown as he tried to work out what he meant, and Levi rolled his eyes.

"Christ," he muttered to himself on a sigh, before speaking up. "The backstage passes. We don't sell them; only close friends ever get them, because we can't risk the public finding out our identities." His eyes stayed locked on Eren carefully, trying to gauge his reaction.

He did not expect the brunet to break out into a rakish grin, that fucking crooked one that should get him arrested, and give him a devious look. "Are you saying you want to be my  _friend,_  Levi?" He placed a hand to his heart dramatically, his smirk never leaving his lips as he played at distressed. "Hell's frozen over. Someone contact the president! This has to go down in history books as the most monumental event to ever take place."

"Shut the fuck up, you brat!" Levi huffed, trying and failing not to laugh. He swung out his leg blindly beneath the table, landing a solid kick to the brunet's shin. "You are such a fucking shithead. Give those tickets back, I've changed my mind. I'm taking my business elsewhere." He leaned over the table, trying to snag the tickets.

Eren was too quick, gripping them and bringing them up above his head, and subsequently out of Levi's reach. "It's too late now, you grumpy fuck! You've already sold your soul, and now you're stuck with me." The younger man was laughing, watching his counterpart struggle and try to scramble for the tickets.

 _"Christ,_  you're as bad as fucking Hange. You're going to get along fucking swimmingly," he grouched, though a smile was still glued to his lips. "I regret everything."

"Don't be such a sourpuss, old man," Eren teased, tucking the tickets and backstage passes away inside of his suit jacket.

Their playful banter was cut short as Petra brought their meals out. She gave a smile to them both, although it was very subdued and laced with a hint of sadness still. "Enjoy your meals, and let me know if you need anything else."

"Thanks, Petra," Levi stated, his eyes glued to his food, practically drooling at the scent. "Text Hange to get her ass moving."

The strawberry blonde giggled softly, shaking her head and giving Levi an adoring stare while he wasn't looking. "Will do."

As Petra turned and walked away, Levi shoved his sleeves up and immediately began digging into his burger. He nearly inhaled the damn thing, he was so hungry, and he moaned from pure delicious bliss at the flavor. Eren shook his head in disbelief, before dousing his fries in the malt vinegar. Without realising it, he tucked into his food about as fast as Levi had; he was starving. The two of them ate in relative silence, exchanging a barb or two, but mostly enjoying one another's company (although neither would admit to it). They finished their food in record time, and Levi paid the bill before Eren could object. As they left the diner together, the shorter man studied his counterpart's profile from the corner of his eye and contemplated. Perhaps he  _had_  been issuing a challenge, but perhaps he hadn't. The only way to find out was to test the waters, so to speak. He decided to test it out after the concert, see if Eren was open to more than a little harmless flirting.

They bade each other goodnight, climbing into their respective cars. They drove off in opposite directions, and Levi pulled out his phone to dial a familiar number. As soon as she picked up, his words came pouring out of him.

"Holy shit, Hange, you're not going to fucking believe this shit..."

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> And that's the chapter! It's pretty long, considering it's just them interacting. Please tell me your thoughts! Did you enjoy this chapter? What do you think of their interactions? Isn't Eren just the boldest little fucking shit? Leave comments and tell me what you think! I respond to every comment.  
> I had a fuckton of fun writing this, honestly. I had to hold myself back from taking things too far because I have a PLAN. And I must stick to it. What do you think will happen next? All the love! And thank you for all the support.


	7. Worst. Dinner. Ever. Shoot Me Now.

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> Good fuckin' morning, guys. I stayed up to write this chapter BECAUSE I have the next two pretty fleshed out with what I want happening in my notebook, and I want nothing more than to get them written. I'm that excited. So I had to get this one up like, now, so I can dedicate my two days off work to really putting my all into the next two chapters. This one. I don't even know what to think, I'm too fucking tired that I can't think. So, please forgive any errors, grammatical or otherwise, and please enjoy!

Eren stared into the mirror as he finished straightening his tie out, running a hand over the smooth material to make sure it wasn't wrinkled. His eyes roamed over his attire, making sure that his coal suit was absolutely impeccable, and once he was satisfied with his state of dress, he released a mildly stressed sigh. Perhaps in normal families, it would be considered strange to dress so formally to have dinner with one's parents, but the Jaeger family was a completely different case. If Eren were to so much as wear something casual, the disapproving looks and comments his mother and father would give him would be overwhelming, and he would do anything he could to avoid that. No matter the circumstance, the Jaeger's were expected to dress for success, in the public eye or not. His parents held their family to a high standard that was to be met consistently; they were a proud family and must display as much, whether it was in their appearance, career, or otherwise. His mother made quite the fuss over "special dinners", and went all out with cooking. They may as well have been holding a fucking gala or some charitable event.

With another heavy sigh, Eren resigned himself to an uncomfortable evening full of polite speech and posh mannerisms. His eye stung and he winced as he quickly made his way out of his bedroom; already, his contact was irritating him and drying his iris out. It was terribly uncomfortable, but he didn't dare go back into the bathroom to mess with it or take it out. He hadn't the time; he wasn't necessarily running late, but if he spent any more time at his house, he most certainly would be, and his girlfriend demanded punctuality. So without a backwards glance, the lawyer snagged his keys and wallet, and exited his home. He locked the door and strode down to the driveway, unlocking his car with the fob. He slid into the driver's seat, adjusted his rearview mirror, and backed out of his property.

Annie lived quite a bit out of his way, in a heavily gated, extravagantly rich neighborhood. Whilst he most likely could have afforded a home there, he had wanted to be in a more friendly area. Their tastes were rather different; he had a fondness for things to be homier, a little plain, even, but his girlfriend adored her wealth and loved living in the lap of luxury. He knew that he was going to be making an abundance of sacrifices for her happiness once they had tied the knot. The drive to her neighborhood took about 30 minutes, and soon enough he was pulling up to the security gate. He rolled his window down to greet the guard and flash his ID, getting waved through after a cursory glance.

After another 5 minutes of driving deeper into the ritzy area, Eren finally pulled up to Annie's house. He parked in her expansive driveway and, leaving his car running, shifted into park before climbing from the vehicle and walking up to the front door. He knocked quickly before dropping his arm and taking a step back. A servant answered the door moment's later, inviting him into the foyer. His dress shoes clicked on the marble flooring, echoing around the large entrance room. Lingering there, he checked his watch to make sure that he wasn't late. Releasing a silent sigh of relief that it was 6:58, Eren leaned carefully against the railing of a grand staircase. He was lucky that she wasn't going to be chewing him out.

The sound of heels clacking delicately on marble drew his attention, and he straightened up as he turned to look up the stairs. Annie paused at the top, and Eren took the moment to admire her. She was wearing an icy blue chiffon gown that brought out her striking eyes; the fabric fell gracefully down in loose ruffles around her feet, just barely dragging along the floor. It hugged her waist softly, and had a sweetheart neckline that exposed her shoulders only slightly. The sleeves were long and made of a shimmering, transparent material that showed off her slender arms. For once, her hair was down, cascading in artfully soft curls down over her shoulders and back. She held a pastel blue clutch in her right hand, the other resting gently on the banister as she began her descent. The heels she wore were 6 inches high and an eye-catching silver, matching the delicate jewelry decorating her ears and throat. Little diamonds glittered as she moved, inlaid into the metal, and as he brought his eyes up to her face, he caught the soft smile curling her lips prettily. Annie had kept her makeup very soft and modest, using it only to accentuate her frigid beauty.

Once she made it to the last few steps, Eren stepped forward and offered her his arm, which she took appreciatively and finally made it to the ground level with his assistance. Her fingers curled delicately into his bicep, and he flashed her a charming smile.

"You look absolutely stunning, Annie," he complimented, watching her cheeks take on the subtlest of pink hues.

"That's a very dashing suit," she responded demurely, bringing an end to the simple pleasantries.

Eren dutifully escorted her out onto the porch, guiding her to the passenger side of his car. She released his arm in order for him to hold open the door and gesture her inside, and she slid in carefully, mindful of the skirt of her dress. Once she was tucked inside safely, he shut the door and made his way around the Jaguar, climbing into the driver's seat. They drove mostly in silence, offering up tidbits of information on what they'd both been up to as of late every so often. There were times when silences between them could be quite comfortable, both able to relax in each other's presences.

This was not one of those times. Eren was tense; his left eye was bothering him, and he had to fight the urge to rub at it while driving. He was also worried about his girlfriend bringing up his lack of attendance to church with his parents, which he wanted to avoid at all costs. Hopefully she wouldn't say anything, and him making the time to go to service tomorrow would appease her enough for her to keep it to herself permanently. He was pulled out of his troublesome thoughts by the feeling of slender, chilled fingers curling in between his as Annie took hold of the hand he currently wasn't using to steer the car. A smile curled his lips slightly, and he gave her palm a soft squeeze.

At 7:46, the Jaguar was rolling to a stop just outside of the Jaeger household. Eren parked along the curb and released their grasped hands to turn the car off and let himself out. He quickly shut his door and rounded the car to pull open Annie's door, offering a hand to help her out. They moved together, still hand in hand, up to his parent's door. Eren knocked loudly, and barely a moment passed before Carla was pulling the door open with a beaming smile.

"Eren, Annie!" She greeted them cheerfully, stepping out past the threshold to wrap them both in a warm hug. "So good to see you both. Come inside, dears, dinner will be ready shortly."

"Thank you for having me over, Carla," Annie greeted pleasantly, giving that demure little smile. They followed after his mother quickly, glad to be out of the chilly air, and Eren promptly shut the door behind them.

"No need to thank me, Annie. We love being able to see you," his mother said with a doting expression, giving Annie's shoulder a gentle squeeze. "And don't you look beautiful."

"You're quite lovely tonight, as well," his girlfriend breathed, nearly swooning over the bold daffodil gown Carla wore.

Eren hadn't a single clue what kind of fabric it was made of, but it looked soft to the touch, and it hung loosely from her frame, modestly covering up to her throat and over her arms. Her hair was swept back into an intricate half-updo, long chocolate tresses water-falling down her back. He completely tuned out the two women, not really caring to indulge in their fashion talk, as he followed behind them towards the den. His father was sat in his leather chair, wearing a crisp three-piece deep burgundy suit. His long hair was pulled back into a low ponytail, and he pushed up his round-framed glasses as he turned to look at the group.

"Annie, you're a vision," Grisha complimented as he stood, moving over to place an arm around his wife. "It's good to see you, son."

Eren plastered on a smile, shaking his father's hand as he returned the sentiments. He really wasn't keen on small talk, but didn't want to come off as disrespectful, so he made sure to be engaged and hold back a sigh. When there was a lull in conversation, he took the chance to glance around and change the subject.

"Where's Izzy?" He asked, scanning the room once more, rather futilely, he had to admit; the redhead was hard to miss.

" _Isabel_ ," his mother corrected him with a scolding expression, before continuing with, "is still upstairs getting ready. She should be down shortly."

The lawyer made a hum of acknowledgement in his throat, maintaining his perfect posture rather than deflating. He really missed his little sister, and he'd honestly much rather be talking to her right now. Especially considering the little surprise he had for her. Grisha's hand settling firmly on his shoulder drew him from his thoughts, and he turned a questioning gaze on the older man.

"Eren, would you mind joining me in my study? I'd like to speak with you alone." Though his father's tone was light and unyielding, a shudder ran down his spine as his blood chilled in his veins.

This could mean nothing good.

And oh fucking boy, was he right on the money.

As soon as the study door fell shut behind them, Grisha rounded on Eren with the sternest expression he'd ever wore. "I want to know why you've yet to propose to Annie, young man."

Biting back the groan that wanted to fall from his lips and resisting the urge to roll his eyes, Eren took a deep, calming breath. They really couldn't wait to bring this up. Every. Single. Time. He slowly breathed out, counting to five, before meeting his father's gaze firmly.

"I mentioned it to mom, but I'm planning to propose in a very special and memorable way. I don't want to..." he had a slight pause in his speech, catching himself almost saying 'half-ass'. Eren did  _not_  have a death wish tonight. "...mess this up by doing it meaninglessly."

His father grunted gruffly, crossing his arms as he studied his son with a piercing stare. "I can understand the desire to do something romantic, I did so for your mother as well, I just didn't take as long," he muttered the last part, meant to be said only to himself and not be overheard. Unfortunately, Eren did hear, and he felt his teeth grinding against each other as he tried to keep his composure. "Just make sure it's soon. A pretty girl like her shouldn't be kept waiting."

It took nearly all of his willpower to keep his voice smooth and his tone light, his head bowing obediently. "Of course, she's very special to me. I wouldn't want to miss out on my chance. I just ask for a little bit more time."

"So long as you do something extravagant and she says yes, I have no complaints, son," his father chortled, patting him heavily on the shoulder.

The sound of voices raising cut their conversation blessedly short and drew them from the study. They quickly moved down the hall, emerging into the den to find a scandalized Carla and an angry Izzy.

"I don't want to wear some stuffy dress," Isabel huffed, stomping her foot and crossing her arms. "It's so unfair. My friends don't have to get all dolled up just to eat dinner."

"Isabel, we have company over," Carla stressed, her tone clipped and expression frigid. "A Jaeger shouldn't act like this in front of a guest, darling." Eren could just tell how pissed off his mother was, and he winced inwardly, his throat tightening in panic.

" _Mom!_  You're so unfair," his sister whined, glaring hard at the floor with iced-over viridian irises.

"Isabel Magnolia Jaeger, listen to your mother and go change,  _right now_ ," Grisha cut in, his commanding tone leaving no room for argument.

Izzy spun on her heel, throwing her hands up in exasperation, and stomped angrily up the stairs.

"I am so sorry about that, Annie," Carla awkwardly apologized after a few silent moments had passed. She brought a hand up to her cheek, sighing as she stared at the stairs where her daughter had just disappeared. "I don't understand why she's so defiant."

Feeling the need to defend and protect his sister, as well as lessen the anger his parents were sure to be stewing in, Eren brought attention to himself and spoke up. "She's just a teenager, mom, she'll grow out of it. I know she'll be the respectable young lady you raised her to be in no time," he soothed, the anxiety still seizing his heart.

Carla looked up at him, her eyes softening slightly as she gave him an odd look. "You were never like that. Sometimes I wonder where I went wrong with that sister of yours," she sighed.

Eren swallowed hard, trying to ease the lump growing in his throat. His chest ached, the tightness only getting worse, but he kept his panic out of his voice and expression as he stepped towards her. Curling his arm around her shoulders, he gave her a loving squeeze and a calm smile. "You didn't go wrong anywhere, trust me. You're a wonderful mother." Those words tasted like bile on his tongue, but he said them sweetly regardless. "She'll grow out of it. I went through it too, just at a much younger age. You worry too much."

His mother relaxed against him, the glacier in her eyes melting as a happy smile curled her lips. She reached up to pat his cheek gently. "What a good son I've been blessed with. You're right, dear."

Instantly, a weight was lifted off of him, and Eren felt like he could breathe again. His chest was no longer restricted, and the lump that had swelled in his throat began easing. The anxiety melted away to a dull throb, and he gave an easy smile to his mother, leaning into her touch.

Carla excused herself to go remove dinner from the oven, and set the table, while Grisha, Eren, and Annie all relaxed in the den. His father made small talk with his girlfriend, praising her father's sermons and discussing whatever the hell else Eren didn't care about. A few minutes passed, and soon enough Isabel was coming down the stairs like a storm rolling in, her vibrant red hair, as untameable as her brother's, left in it's wild, naturally wavy state, flowing behind her in the breeze of her wake. She had changed from the ripped jeans and band tee into a babydoll pink lace dress, embroidered with various flowers. The hem stopped just above the knee and was cinched tight at the waist, leaving Eren unsure if it was something his mother had picked out, or if his sister had. It didn't suit her tastes in the least, though it did look very pretty on her. Her tiny little feet were wrapped up in ballet flats, and that completed her look; she wasn't wearing any jewelry or accessories to speak of.

Once she reached the last step, she practically sprang from it and bound over to Eren, squealing happily and launching herself into his arms.

"Reeeeeen, I missed you!" She cried out as she clung onto him like a little koala, and her brother chuckled as he spun her around.

"Miss you too, Izzy," he returned, his voice soft and full of all of the affection he had for his 17 year old sister.

"Isabel, that's not very ladylike," Grisha cut in, his tone harsh, and with a sigh she released her brother, dropping inelegantly to her feet.

"Sorry, dad," she hedged, her eyes lit with a fire that was anything but apologetic. "Won't happen again."

"See that it doesn't," he warned, before turning and heading off towards the dining room.

Isabel stuck her tongue out at his back, turning her full gaze on Eren once their parents were out of sight—and out of earshot.

"Seriously, bro, I'm goin' stir crazy and I need to get outta here sometime. We have  _got_  to go something together." She gave her older brother the most desperate, pleading look, eyes widening into saucers.

Eren's gaze flickered over to Annie and back, before he lowered his voice so only the little redhead could hear him. "Trust me, I'm on it." He ruffled her hair affectionately, and the conversation was put to an end by Carla calling for them.

Eren dutifully took Annie's hand, leading her to the dining room with Izzy trailing behind them, practically dragging her feet as she whined about how she hated dresses. The lawyer made sure to pull his girlfriend's seat out for her and pushed her in carefully before sitting next to her. His mother cooed about what a gentleman he was, making him want to roll his eyes. Izzy sat across from them, and each parent sat at opposite heads of the table. His eye was still bothering him from time to time, and he kept subtly trying to rub at it, blinking several times and trying to get it to water. He sighed, realising he wasn't getting anywhere.

Carla smacked Isabel's hand when she reached for a roll, frowning deeply at her daughter in disapproval, before grabbing it in her grasp. Eren took her other hand, and soon they'd all joined hands and bowed their heads while Grisha led them in saying grace. His parents and Annie all had their eyes closed respectfully, but Eren was too busy watching his little sister make distressed and funny faces at him. He rolled his eyes, making a face back and causing her to crack a huge grin.

"Amen," his father concluded, and they all chorused after him, dropping their hands away.

Finally, they helped themselves to food, and Eren let Annie and his mother take over the small talk, all too comfortable in not having to participate. He kept exchanging looks with Isabel, communicating without words how bored they were. He cracked a smile when she wrinkled up her nose after glancing at her dress, showing her obvious displeasure. He covertly mimed blowing his brains out, and Iz had to stifle a giggle at that, nodding her head in agreement. Family dinners blew.

The dinner took a turn for the worse when his attention was caught by his mother's hushed words, her hateful expression and disapproving tone telling all. "You saw Melinda's daughter, Avery, at service last Sunday, right Annie?"

"You mean how she was very obviously pregnant?" His girlfriend looked affronted, her voice taking on an icy edge. "I'm surprised Melinda thought coming to church with her like that was a good idea."

"Oh, dear, I know what you mean. Underage, unwed, and pregnant. What is this world coming to?"

"Paster Leonhart has very firm views on teenage pregnancy and abstinence, which I am in agreement with," Grisha added in, frown curling down the corners of his lips. "I'm very surprised they were allowed to stay."

"Trust me," Annie spoke up, her eyes hardening. "He spoke with Melinda privately; neither her nor Avery will be attending our church again. They strayed much too far from God."

His mother hummed her agreement, and Eren kept silent, pushing the food around on his plate. It may have been true that he'd remained a virgin and completely abstinent because of his parents and his need to keep them happy, but he really didn't agree with the whole 'no sex until marriage' thing. How would you know if you were sexually compatible? Still, taking precaution so as not to get pregnant at such a young age would have been a good idea, he didn't think Avery should be shunned and shat on for her mistakes. If anything, they should offer her support, and be forgiving and loving, like they so claimed they were. This was where his views skewed harshly away from his parents. Not that they needed to know. Or ever would. And he certainly wouldn't disobey them. He wouldn't so much as think a single dirty thought about Annie until they were married.

Isabel kicked him underneath the table, drawing him out of his thoughts and forcing his gaze to meet hers. She gave the most exasperated, annoyed expression, rolling her eyes as far back as she could. He took that as his cue to tune back into the conversation once more.

And he really wished that he fucking hadn't.

"It's just so sickening. Seeing them parade around like that, actually  _proud_  of defying God," Grisha growled, stabbing at his food viciously.

"They truly need help," Carla sighed, shaking her head. "Homosexuality is a sin, if only they could be led back to the light."

Eren went cold, and his stomach tensed up. He  _hated_  when they talked about this subject. Isabel scowled down at her plate, keeping her mouth firmly shut.

"My father recently opened a conversion therapy center," Annie announced, a proud smile on her lips. "We could help them see the light, Carla. Show them that they are living in sin and getting further from God every day. We can  _cure_  them."

"What a wonderful thing he's done," Carla cooed, giving a bright smile to Annie. "It's not too late to save them."

"If they're even worth saving at this point," Grisha grumbled. "Those repulsive faggots are ruining our country. Cure 'em or get 'em out of here."

"I couldn't agree more, Grisha," Annie hummed, patting his forearm lightly. "My father greatly respects you. He may even have a position open for you. With you being a doctor, it would be extremely beneficial if you joined forces."

Eren wasn't listening anymore. He felt physically ill, all the color rushing from his face as a cold sweat broke out over his skin. This dinner couldn't be over fast enough. He couldn't take another moment of this. His heart was squeezing so painfully in his chest, and his entire body felt numb. He hated being around this; these people spoke of his  _friends_  like they weren't even human, like they were cockroaches that needed to be eradicated. This was one thing he truly couldn't stand about his parents, and he was vehemently against. He wanted to be violently sick, but he held it back, taking slow, deep breaths. He could handle this for just a little longer, he told himself. He could make it through. He just needed to calm down, to reign them in, change the subject.

After he got himself somewhat under control, he listened for a dip in the conversation, a small lull with just enough space for him to get a word in. And luckily enough, the conversation stalled.

Perking up, Eren cleared his throat to draw attention. Once he was sure they were listening, he spoke. "Mom, dad, I've been thinking that me and Isabel need some quality time together. Would you be against me taking her to dinner and a movie next Friday?"

Isabel's eyes widened and she bounced in her seat, a happy squeak catching in her throat. "Dad? Mom? Can I, can I please? I'll be so good, I promise. I just miss Eren a lot..." she trailed off, biting her bottom lip and flashing them both puppy dog eyes.

"Well..." Carla trailed off, deferring to her husband.

Grisha grunted, taking his time to mull over his thoughts. "I don't see why not. It has been a while since you had a brother-sister day. That might actually explain her behavior lately."

Eren gave a winning smile, leaning forward slightly. "She can even spend the night at my house. I had a room decorated just for her. I miss having my annoying little sister around to pester me."

Izzy stuck her tongue out at her brother, but her mood couldn't be dampened in the least. She was extremely excited.

His parents agreed with his plans, and it allowed him to relax, the heavy conversation from earlier entirely forgotten. After dinner was finished, Eren quickly pulled Isabel aside, leaning down to whisper in her ear.

"Text me, I'll tell you our real plans."

She gave an affirmative and latched onto him in a hug, squeezing him tightly. Carla popped her head around the wall to rush him out, stating it was getting late and Annie needed to get home. He couldn't agree more, so with a round of hugs and goodbyes, he quickly exited the Jaeger household and led his girlfriend to his car. Driving as carefully as possible, he inched down on the gas to put as much distance between himself and his family home as he could.

His left iris twinged painfully, and he winced, shutting his lids over it. He brought a hand to rub at it, being sure to keep the gaze of his right eye on the road. All he wanted right now was to rip the contact out of his eye and let it be free of irritation. Instead, he continued to rub it, letting out frustrated huffs of breath every so often. Annie eyed him carefully from the passenger seat, her arms settled in her lap serenely, not matching the frown marring her features.

"You'd better not take it out," she warned, turning to stare out of her window. "You know I hate it."

"I know," Eren sighed, ceasing his futile rubbing and squinting the bad eye.

Annie was silent for a few moments, before she dropped her voice lower as if she were talking to herself, twirling a lock around her fingers. "It seriously creeps me out. I hope none of my children are cursed."

The lawyer knew he was meant to hear it, even if she acted like she was only talking to herself. It stung, but he brushed it off, the only indication of it bothering him the tightening of his jaw. This wasn't the first time she'd said this, and he knew it wouldn't be the last. Most people were repulsed by his eye, especially the religious fucks he was forced to associate with.

Still, as he dropped Annie off at her house, he couldn't stop his mind from drifting to the one person who didn't really see his eye as something shameful. Someone who had even complimented it—sort of. But having those lines of thought would do nothing good for him.

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> Sooooo. This was the dinner. And there is a Past. The capital P is 100% necessary. Eren has a Past that will be delved into in the future. And guys, it's gonna be pretty dark, not gonna lie. SO. Leave comments please, and give me your theories on what his past could possibly be! Also, tell me what you think of this chapter? Thoughts on his parents? What do you think of Annie? Can we agree that we all love Izzy? Hopefully this chapter wasn't too wordy or boring, it just needed to happen. And sorry for the lack of our lovable grumpy fuck, Levi, he WILL be in the next chapter! As will more Eren and Levi interaction! Hooray! I'm gonna go to sleep now, because I'm exhausted. I love you all.


	8. Grabbing Ass for Gay Awakenings

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> Hi, hello. I have no self control so yay, double update. I love you guys, and I'm so into writing this story that any chance I have, I spend writing this. I really had a lot of fun composing this chapter; it's the longest one yet. But oh boy, it deserves to be. It also took me a long time to get this done today, because it ended up being a little lengthier, and I needed to take constant breaks because when I get in the zone, I will not move from my spot for anything, even if finishing a chapter takes hours. So I had to make myself take breaks. Apologies for any errors, grammatical or otherwise, and please do enjoy reading!

_**A Year and 5 Months Ago** _

_**September** _

 

The house was a disaster. Clothes were strewn about everywhere, hanging off of lamps, piled up so high on the bed that they were pouring onto the floor, and the mess only seemed to be growing. Metal hangers screeched loudly from the walk-in closet, followed by muffled curses and annoyed sighs while the whirlwind of a person continued to root around inside its depths. Eren sat carefully down on a clear edge of his mattress, glancing around at the destruction with a mournful expression. Putting everything away was going to be the biggest bitch, but he did nothing to stop the mini-tornado that was his little sister.

It was the very next Friday, following that horrid dinner that he wanted to pretend never happened, and the most boring Sunday service he could have subjected himself to. Still, his attendance and faux interest in whatever the fuck the Pastor had been talking about (he hadn't paid attention in the least) seemed to appease Annie, and she had completely dropped the subject of his attendance. He'd just have to make sure that he continued going dutifully to keep her off his ass. It just meant that he'd be losing a lot of sleep and his extremely small amounts of valuable free time trying to balance his life out for a while. No big deal at all.

Shaking his head, Eren cleared those spirit-dampening thoughts away, instead turning to the very reason why he was letting Isabel wreak havoc on his poor, innocent clothes. She had texted him after the dinner asking what their plans were, and he hadn't been able to respond until he got home.  _'What if I told you that I had tickets to No Name's concert?'_  The following texts that came from Izzy were indecipherable; she'd probably mashed her fingers over the keys to display how ecstatic she was. After she made him confirm it with a picture of the tickets, her excitement couldn't be tamed, and she had pestered him every day with bursts of texts about how happy she was, counting down the days, and proclaiming her love for her brother. They all made him smile so widely his cheeks hurt; nothing filled him with joy the way doing things like this for Iz did. She was always so appreciative, and they had an unbreakable, close bond forged by having to survive the Jaeger household that made for frequent hangouts between the siblings.

Said little sister popped her head out from the closet, a little frown twisting her lips. "Seriously, Ren, what the fuck. Don't you own anything casual? You  _cannot_  wear a suit to a No Name concert. It's not happening!"

Eren chuckled and rolled his eyes, standing up and walking over to join her in the closet. "Ignoring the fact that I'm going to be spending triple the amount in dry cleaning this month," he paused to send a pointed glare at all of the suits, disassembled and thrown haphazardly around his room, before he focused back on the redhead to continue. "I do in fact have casual clothing, you're just not looking in the right places."

"Ooooor," she drew out the word with a sing-song lilt to her voice, spreading her arms wide to gesture into the large closet. "You have too many clothes! You're worse than a girl, Ren."

"I am not," he huffed, striding deeper into the closet. "I need these suits for my job, and since I can't always find the time to swing by the dry cleaners, I have to have a lot of them."

"Booooring!" Iz flitted over to another rack, shoving things around, grumbling to herself. "I know you have something cool in here somewhere. Unless my big bro suddenly became lame."

"Izzy, if you would just leave my poor hangers alone and check the  _dresser_ ," Eren said with a sigh, moving out of the closet and into his bedroom to point at the lone piece of furniture. His sister followed him out and immediately made her way over to it, yanking out a drawer at random to begin digging through it.

After a few moments, she let out a cry of victory, holding up a pair of acid-washed jeans with tears in the knees. "These are perfect!" Without wasting any time, she tossed them at her brother and pulled open the next drawer, shoving shirts around at random. A few were flung over her shoulder towards the bed, missing by a wide margin and landing on the floor in heaps. "Wear your combat boots," Isabel demanded, not bothering to turn away from her mission.

"Got it, captain," he joked, grabbing the shoes from his closet before resuming watching his sister with amusement.

She finally seemed to find what she was looking for, pulling a black piece of fabric out and turning to the lawyer with a victorious grin. "I knew you had to have these still!" She squealed, holding up her prize. The front of the shirt was decorated with an image of Levi, his head cocked to the side and wrapped up in numerous belts with only his lower face exposed. A devious little smirk curled those pouty lips, and Eren felt the coil of mortification in his chest. He could only imagine how the singer would react to wearing his image plastered all over his torso. It was hard for him to wrap his mind around the fact that he knew who the frontman was, let alone that they were somewhat friends, and he'd been a secret fan since their first album. Levi never needed to know that, though.

"Get dressed," she commanded, rising up and grabbing her backpack, slinging it over her shoulder. Izzy headed into the bathroom to get ready, shutting the door behind her.

Eren smiled fondly as he gave a soft sigh, stripping out of his suit. He'd taken off from work early so that he would have time to pick up his sister, get them fed, and get ready at his house. She'd no doubt packed the entirety of her No Name merch, and was most likely trying to pick the perfect shirt. He slid into the skinny jeans, buttoning them easily before turning to look in his mirror. He twisted his body this way and that, nodding to himself. It had been a while since he'd worn these, and he was glad that they still fit. The tee came next, and it mussed up his hair even further after he shoved his head through the neck hole. The shirt itself was rather tight, clinging onto his muscled torso and leaving nothing to the imagination. It couldn't be helped, this was one of the first shirts he'd been able to work up the courage to purchase when he was a teenager, having to keep it well-hidden from his parents. He'd filled out quite a bit since his teens, his muscles more defined from the time he spent working out, and he'd even grown several more inches.

As he was pulling on his combat boots, Izzy came bursting out of the bathroom, spinning wildly to show off her outfit. Her red mane was tugged up into cute pigtails, the untameable locks looking extremely cute in the style. Her skinny jeans were dark blue, splattered with bleach in an artful disarray to lighten up areas of the fabric, and it was absolutely shredded along the thighs. Their mother would have had a heart attack if she ever saw Isabel wearing them. The shirt she had on was cropped to display her midriff, her pinched waist leading the eye to a sparkling bellybutton ring, and the top itself had No Name scrawled out in a beautiful font across the front. Eren would easily bet his entire paycheck that his parents were unaware of Izzy's little body mod, or else she'd have been grounded for life and never able to leave the house. But his sister was a very sneaky girl, and was able to keep secrets well-hidden from them with ease.

Isabel quickly shoved her feet into a pair of black Vans, turning to yank Eren to his feet and tug him towards the door. "C'mon,  _c'mon_ , let's go! I don't want to miss anything."

Eren chuckled and tugged them to a stop, moving over to his nightstand. "Give me a minute, I actually have another surprise for you." His sister dutifully shut her eyes at the mention of a surprise, her hands held out in front of her impatiently. The lawyer fished out the tickets and the backstage passes from a drawer, then moved back over to the little redhead. He placed the backstage passes in her hand and told her to open her eyes.

Wasting no time, her lids flew open, and she greedily turned her gaze to the laminated passes in her hands. The most bloodcurdling, excited scream ripped from her throat, and she began jumping in place. "No fucking  _way!_ How did you even get these?!"

"That's a secret," he smirked, tugging on one of her pigtails. She slipped a lanyard around her neck, shoving the other one back at her brother, and let him hold onto the VIP tickets. "Now let's blow this Popsicle stand."

 

* * *

 

The roar of the crowd was so immense, it echoed loudly backstage, and could even be heard all the way in the dressing room. Hange was excitedly bouncing around, getting hyped up from the cacophony just beyond their door. She was already fully decked out in her No Name gear, her eyes covered in their signature bandages, leaving just enough of a sliver to see through. The drummer sat in the corner, tossing his drumsticks up into the air before tapping out a rhythm on the nearest surfaces. His bandages were only half-wrapped around his face, like he'd given up in the middle of putting them on out of boredom. The bass guitarist launched herself at Miche, lecturing him about the importance of doing it properly, and proceeded to fix the blindfold for him. She kept having to readjust them each time he announced that he couldn't see, shouting at him to hold still and adding in their squabbling to the din of their fans.

Levi lounged back on the couch, clad in his suit stylised with studs, spikes, and embroidered roses, his leather blindfold resting in his lap. He'd yet to put it on because he was still secretly waiting to see if Eren would text him; trying to squint through the slim gaps to try and read a message was far too annoying to endure. It was very important to Levi to get some sort of confirmation from his lawyer (not like he was going to admit it). After all, how could he be sure that the brunet really was going to be attending the concert? Maybe he'd changed his mind. There wasn't a snowball's chance in hell that  _Levi_  would text that brat first, though. So he was left to wait and sulk, his pride his only company. Just as he was on the verge of giving up the waiting game, a sigh already fleeing his lips and his hands dropping down to grab onto the cool leather, his phone vibrated. With speed he wasn't aware he possessed, he dropped the belt and snatched up his cell, fingers flying to tap in his passcode. Trying to keep a grasp on the flame of hope alighting in his chest, because, really, it could be any annoying motherfucker, he prodded the messaging app, swallowing hard.

The singer lit up like the sun, his eyes widening slightly as a pleased little smile pulled at his lips at the sight of  _'Shitty Brat: 1 New Message'_  blinking at him. The change in his expression was subtle; most people wouldn't even be able to tell that the man with resting bitch face was feeling anything other than absolute distaste, but Hange caught the nuances of genuine happiness. He opened the message, only to be greeted by an image. It was a selfie of the brunet lawyer and his little sister; Eren was looking 50 shades of  _fine as fuck_ , wearing the tightest shirt known to man and delectable skinny jeans, while Isabel looked absolutely adorable decked out in her concert gear, one eye closed as she made a peace sign. The object of Levi's wetdreams was smirking salaciously into the camera, his ocean eyes shimmering deviously, and the caption below the picture read,  _'Ready for you to rock my socks off.'_

Levi snorted, rolling his eyes as a smirk tugged up the corner of his lips, and he didn't even hesitate in saving the picture. He proceeded to hold his phone back, giving a seductive pose and a smoldering gaze to the camera, biting into his bottom lip in a way that drove all of the boys and girls wild. After snapping a picture, he quickly typed,  _'You'll find out soon that I_ never _disappoint. Dork.'_  He hadn't noticed that his roomate had snuck up behind him, spying over his shoulder. Her piercing squeal made him wince and nearly drop his phone. Hange snatched it up quickly, hitting send before her short bandmate could even think of changing his mind. She waggled her eyebrows at him when he smacked her shoulder and snagged his phone back.

"Tch, shitty glasses. I didn't need your help," he grumbled, locking his phone and shoving it into his pocket.

 _"Please_ , grumpybutt, I know you. You'd have chickened out," she singsonged, wrapping her arms around him in a strangling hug. "You haven't even texted him for a whole week! You have a plan! I'm just here to make sure you stick to it. Operation: Make Eren Gay for Levi."

"Don't fucking call it that, that's not the damn goal." Shoving his best friend off of him, he growled out expletives and picked up his discarded straps, refusing to acknowledge her words or how right they probably were. He secured them carefully around his face, making sure to not hinder his ability to see too much. There was no way he'd be able to see Eren out in the crowd like this, which was almost a damn shame. But the siblings had been wearing their backstage passes in the picture, so he knew he'd get to see him soon enough.

Erwin entered the room to announce that they were needed on stage in 5, so the three of them stood up and strode confidently from the room. Backstage, the screaming was definitely louder, and Levi just knew he was going to be having hearing trouble in the morning, but brushed the thought off. He was pumped up, and was going to give it everything he had to make this concert the best any of them had ever been to. The lights on the stage went out, and that was their cue to emerge, taking their positions in front of the raucous fans. As Miche sat down at the drums, Levi grabbed his mic, bringing it to his lips. The darkness still wrapped around them, and the singer parted his lips to speak.

"Welcome to the night of your lives. We're No Name," he paused as the noise level went through the roof, the crowd in front of him pulsating as they jumped, cheered, and pressed closer to the stage.

"Hang onto your panties, ladies and gents!" Hange piped in, a manic giggle leaving her lips. "And watch where you step, cuz it's about to get wet!"

They struck the first chords as the lights came on, and M started wailing on his drums, nodding his head to the beat. H moved her fingers over the neck of her guitar, playing like her life depended on it. When L sucked in a soft breath to sing, the entire arena fell silent, save for the melody of their instruments and the frontman's siren-like voice. They played their hearts out, laying out everything on the stage, and the awed crowd let out loud cheers, joining in on singing their favorite songs. Levi held the mic out towards the fans, and they all screamed the lyrics, bringing a joyful little smile to his lips. This was something they all loved about their career, bringing something full of passion to the ears of their listeners, igniting it within them, giving their songs meaning and life. Levi came to life on the stage, entirely at home with countless eyes on him. He was nearly ethereal with the lights hitting the sweat on his skin, making him glisten like a mirage.

Eren was admiring him from the VIP section, lost in the wake of Levi's utter rapture, completely consumed in the raw intensity of No Name's music. Isabel was screaming so loudly she was sure to lose her voice by the end of the night, jumping up and down in time to the beat. They'd never been to a concert quite like this one, never been so drawn into a single performance. He knew that it was definitely going to be a night that he never forgot, for as long as he lived.

By the end of the last song, Levi was panting heavily, sweat pouring from his skin, and he held the mic up to regard the crowd. "Thanks for coming out tonight, we love you all." He brought his fist into the air, holding it up triumphantly, and the crowd mimicked him, screaming his pseudonym at the tops of their lungs. Hange blew a kiss at the crowd, then latched onto her bandmates' arms, and they all walked backstage. As soon as they were able, they collapsed on the couch in the dressing room, still trying to regulate their breathing.

As fans were slowly trickling out of the arena, Eren took hold of Isabel's hand and began leading her down towards the stage. He spotted a group of people speaking with a bouncer manning the door that led to the backstage area, and made a b-line for them. The siblings had to ease and shove their way through the crowd, too many people still milling about and waiting to be able to exit without getting trampled. By the time the two made it to the bouncer, the group that had been there was already gone, and he had no way of knowing whether they'd been let back or sent off. The man guarding the door took one scrutinizing look at their passes, and then stepped aside, unlocking the door and holding it open for them. Thanking the man, Isabel wasted no time and harshly tugging her brother through the entryway and backstage, a squeal leaving her lips.

Unsure of which way to go, Eren pulled his sister to a stop and began fishing his phone out, only to nearly drop it as she once again yanked him as hard as she could, insisting that she heard voices to the right. After a couple minutes of walking, they made it to the main area backstage, where the group of people Eren had spotted were gathered together. He hesitated, eyes scanning the faces in search of a familiar one, and nearly jumped out of his skin when hands gripped onto his shoulder.

A familiar voice screeched excitedly into his ear, making him wince harshly. "Levi's showering, buttercup. He'll be out shortly!"

Eren turned to regard the assaulter, taking in the messy brown ponytail and square-framed glasses. "You must be Hange," he stated pleasantly, offering her a smile and his hand to shake. "It's nice to meet you in person."

The woman grabbed his hand in a vice-like grip, nearly tearing his shoulder out of its socket with the wild force that she used to shake it. "I've heard so much about you, it's good to actually see you in the flesh!" Her eyes landed on Isabel, who was currently staring wide-eyed and gaping like a fish. Hange gasped and grinned manically, attaching herself to the redhead. "You must be the little sister! I'm Hange! But you'd know me as H, wouldn't you?"

Isabel's words came rushing out of her hysterically, irises glittering with unshed tears. "Ohmygod,  _Iloveyousomuch!_ I'm Izzy I can't believe this is happening, is this a dream?" She took a deep breath, hugging the bass guitarist as tightly as she could.

Eren watched fondly, a smile curling his lips, until he felt a tap on his shoulder. He turned to look and saw the waitress from when he'd had dinner with Levi. He couldn't quite remember her name, but he definitely recognized her. Her straw-berry blond hair was pulled up into a ponytail, and her doe-like amber eyes flicked up to his face.

"It is you!" She gasped, leaning back slightly. "I don't know if you remember me; I'm Petra."

The lawyer smiled reassuringly, nodding his head. "I do remember; your Levi's friend."

The pleasantries were cut short when the dressing room door flung open dramatically, and Levi waltzed out in a billow of steam. His previous outfit was nowhere to be seen, instead replaced with the tightest pair of leather pants and a black mesh shirt that really put his toned torso on display in the most mouth-watering way. He had a too-large cardigan thrown over it, arms buried in the long sleeves, though he hadn't bothered to button it. Those worn combat boots were once again at home on his feet, and he lazily glanced around, his eyes settling on the brunet.

"Eren," he drawled, running a hand back through his slowly air-drying hair. "Glad you could make it. Where's your cutie sister?"

"In a competition with Hange on who can squeeze the air out of the other faster," he deadpanned, turning his gaze to regard the two girls who were still embracing and blubbering.

Levi sauntered over to the pair casually, his leisurely movements possessing a sultry air and drawing the eye. He cleared his throat, his head cocking to the side. "Hate to interrupt, but you're hogging the cute redhead, Shitty glasses."

Isabel made a noise that was a cross between a squeak and choking, and she released Hange slowly to turn and meet Levi face to face. She stuttered and tripped over her own tongue, unable to form even a word, let alone a proper sentence. The singer smiled, opening his arms to offer a hug.

"Hey there, little sister. I'm L, or rather, Levi. Think you can keep my secret, kid?"

"Yes—I, of course, oh my fucking god. This is the best day of my life!" Izzy cried, and the dam finally broke, tears trailing down her cheeks as she hugged onto the man she'd been obsessed with for years.

"Miche, get the fuck over here and meet our biggest fan," Levi called, giving her a squeeze and rubbing her back to soothe her.

As soon as the drummer was within grasp, Isabel was flying into his arms to hug him. Eren stepped up to Levi's side, joining the man in watching his shell-shocked little sister. "Thank you for doing this," he stated simply.

The musician bumped him with his shoulder, giving a shake of his head. "No need to thank me. It's payment, remember?"

"Old man," Eren sighed with a roll of his eyes, a playful smirk on his lips.

"Fuckin' brat," his counterpart returned. Steeling his nerves, Levi's body tensed up as he cleared his throat. "So, we're having an after-party of sorts at a bar. We're renting it out for the night."

"Is that your way of inviting me? I'm  _touched,_  Levi," Eren drawled, putting a hand to his heart sarcastically as he batted his lashes.

"You call that touched, you shitty brat?" the shorter man huffed, his cheeks tinting pink at being called out so bluntly. He had a  _plan_ , damnit, and this wasn't the time to chicken out or hesitate. So, as boldly as possible, he leaned into the lawyer's space, giving him a coy look from beneath his lashes. "This is what I call  _touching_." As soon as words, spoken low and with a rough edge, left his lips, he smacked Eren's ass, making sure to grab hold of the delectable mound of flesh and give it a squeeze, before letting it go and smirking salaciously.

Eren went 10 different shades of red, even his ears had a blush on them, but he held his own, that competitive and challenging spark lighting in his eyes. "I think you could do better than that, old man. I thought you didn't disappoint?"

"You really don't know what you're getting yourself into, kid," Levi purred at the shell of his ear, before drawing back and cocking his head to the side. "So, are you going to join us willingly, or am I dragging your ass to the bar?"

"That depends," Eren hedged, crossing his arms as the heat in his cheeks slowly faded. "Can Izzy come? She's only 17."

"Of course she can, we don't give a shit about her age. It's just up to you to monitor her if you don't want her drinking," he warned.

"That settles it then."

And Eren strode off to grab his sister, before the whole group headed out to climb into their separate vehicles.

 

* * *

 

The club was just as Levi had promised: empty of everyone but those it was reserved for, and that was a huge relief. It had a relaxing atmosphere, with music that wasn't too loud and in your face, and many of the people weren't wasting time in getting drinks. Eren was being dragged around to be introduced to the group, who wouldn't shut the fuck up about the 'cutie with the teal eyes' and were annoying Levi to no end. There was Petra, who he'd already met, who'd been friends with Levi since she and his sister had gotten close in high school. Gunther, Eld, and Aurou were all college friends who were also working for the band to produce merchandise, organize advertisements, and study their fan demographic to better their sales, respectively.

Farlan, the band's producer, was a very friendly man. Isabel instantly took a shine to him, and the two ended up sitting in a booth together, leaning towards one another, and talking animatedly for the majority of the night. The only person Levi seemed to be trying to avoid was Captain America, who Eren was assuming was the 'Eyebrows' he'd heard about, based solely on the fucking caterpillar's on his face. Any time the built blond tried to get close to them, Levi would grip onto the lawyer's wrist and lead him in the opposite direction, claiming he needed another drink, or that he could hear better somewhere else. The singer couldn't avoid his manager forever, though, because when he was least expecting it, the man had managed to sneak up on them.

"Hello, I don't believe we've had the pleasure of meeting," Captain America's deep voice washed over the pair, making Levi tense up and whirl around. "I'm Erwin Smith, manager for No Name. And you are?"

"Eren Jaeger, sir. The pleasure is mine," he offered his hand out with a smile. Erwin took it with a firm grasp, giving a very manly shake.

"Jaeger, the lawyer? I've heard many good things about you. I was hoping I'd get to meet you sometime," the manager said with a charming smile, his calculating glacier irises flickering between the two other men, studying them. "I didn't realise you and Levi were friends. How did you two meet?"

If Eren had thought the musician was tense before, he was absolutely petrified now, stiffer than a board. He knew that Levi wanted Erwin to know fuck all about his charges, and the lawyer had confidentiality rules set in place, but it wasn't like he would have spilled even if he didn't. That didn't mean, however, that he couldn't mess with his counterpart, and absolutely embarrass him. With a wicked flash in his eyes, he turned an innocent smile up towards Erwin, his hands slipping into the back pockets of his jeans. Payback for grabbing ass, Levi.

"Oh, that's actually a really funny story!" He started, and Levi shot daggers his way, his jaw clenching and showing his displeasure. "It's pretty wild, so bear with me."

The singer stomped subtly on Eren's foot, trying to get him to shut the fuck up; it didn't matter what he was planning on telling Erwin, the look in his eyes promised nothing good.

"So, I was making my way back from finishing a case, and it was pretty dark out. Levi here must have been pretty drunk, because I think he mistook me for someone else. He came up to me and groped me heavily, grabbed my dick and everything, and asked if he could suck me in the alley. Once he realised he didn't recognize me, he was all apologies." Eren finished with a laugh, and Levi groaned heavily, hiding his blush in his hands as he dry-washed his face. "I'm a pretty good-natured guy, so it was no harm, no foul. Still, he insisted on making it up to me, and offered me tickets to the concert."

"Shut the  _fuck_  up, you lying little shit!" his counterpart ground out, smacking a delicate hand over Eren's mouth. "Jesus shitting Christ," he muttered, leveling the lawyer with his best mutinous glare.

"Right..." Erwin said slowly, blinking a few times. He wasn't sure he wanted to know the actual story, and even though he'd known Levi for a long time and was used to  _his_  mouth, hearing a stranger spill vulgar things past his lips like that was... an odd experience, to say the least. Still, he  _was_  friends with Levi, so he wasn't put off in the least. He pulled a card out of his wallet and handed it to Eren. "Please get in touch sometime, perhaps we can work together in the future."

"Can do, Captain," the lawyer grinned deviously, tucking the card away in his pocket. Levi choked on a snort, his fingers digging almost painfully into Eren's shoulder.

After the manager walked away, rolling his eyes, Eren burst into laughter, leaning into a scowling Levi.

"You are a fucking shitstain on my life," the singer deadpanned, halfheartedly trying to shrug the taller man off and not succeeding.

"Psh, you love me. We're  _friends_ , you grumpy fuckface."

Levi let out a long-suffering sigh, then began tugging Eren over to the bar. "I need a damn drink."

"You haven't had enough yet?" the brunet questioned, slipping onto a barstool.

The singer quirked a brow, regarding Eren like he was asking the dumbest question he'd ever heard. "Why would I have had enough?"

"You're not a lightweight? I mean, you're so fucking tiny."

"Okay,  _fuck you._  It sounds like  _you're_  the lightweight. I bet I could drink you under the table," Levi seethed, sucking his teeth in annoyance.

"Oh you are  _so on_ , old man. Let's do shots," Eren decided, waving over the bartender. "A line of shots, tequila, please."

The bartender began setting up the glasses, filling them carefully, and Levi leaned toward Eren, a smirk on his lips. "So, what do I get when I win?"

"If, you cocky bastard. And I don't know, we'll figure out prizes  _after_  I kick your ass." The lawyer stated simply, cracking his knuckles as the last of the shots were being poured.

No more words were exchanged while they each took shot after shot, ordering more once their first set was finished off. Eren was definitely buzzed, if not tipsy, and well on his way to being absolutely trashed. He kept playfully shoving Levi, trying to push him off of his stool, or attempting to steal the other man's shots in efforts to cheat his way to a win. The raven-haired man kept having to smack the brunet's hands away, or throw a hand out to grip onto his counterpart's bicep to stop him from being sent toppling over. He'd be lying if he said he wasn't tipsy, as well.

"I'm glad you came out," Levi announced suddenly as he tossed back another shot. When the lawyer gazed at him questioningly with a tilt of his head, he clarified. "Once we're done partying, we're all piling up on the tour bus. We'll be on tour for two months."

"Oh," the brunet responds dumbly, his shoulders sagging slightly in disappointment. It makes sense; after all, he could recall them mentioning a tour on that talk show last week, that started with this concert. He just hadn't known how long it was going to be, and he couldn't help but to feel dejected in his intoxication. For some reason he really enjoyed Levi's company, and really wanted to explore this whole friendship thing. It was just going to be hard to do when the singer was going to be M.I.A. for two whole months. He sighed softly, downing another shot of his own. Maybe they'd be able to text, but Levi didn't seem like much of a texter. He hadn't messaged Eren at all since their meeting last Thursday, so that probably wasn't a good idea. Although, he did respond pretty instantaneously when the lawyer sent a text first, so perhaps that was the key. His cheeks flushed a pretty rouge when he recalled the picture he'd gotten in return. It was some sort of heaven-sent gift to see Levi decked out in his L attire without the blindfold. His seductive aura was turned up 100-fold, because of his fucking  _eyes._ Those smokey slate irises just burned with a tempting smolder, drawing even the strongest-willed men to their knees. The singer persona L was sex-incarnate, yeah, but Levi himself was something else entirely. He oozed sensuality, practically demanding panties to drop and tongues to be wagging over him. It didn't matter what he wore, whether it was that casual over-sized sweater, or nothing but bandages concealing his most intimate parts, eyes were drawn to him, and his entire being just screamed erotic.

Levi isn't exactly sure why the brunet at his side is suddenly looking so forlorn, but as he opens his mouth to pry, Eren visibly perks up when he hears a song that he likes starting, calling for a dancing break. He tugs Levi out onto the floor despite his protests, yelling for the music to be turned up. Once the song was blaring through the bar's speakers, the lawyer whooped, and started dancing like no one was watching. And  _holy fuck_ , he was damn good. His hips were swaying as his arms made their way above his head, and his eyes glittered with mischief. He moved along to the words, rolling his body seductively. Levi was frozen to his spot, glazed eyes widening slightly, and he swallowed hard. He wanted nothing more than to bend Eren over on the floor and fuck him silly.

Growing impatient with his counterpart, the brunet pouted his bottom lip out, pausing in his dancing to latch onto Levi, pulling him close. "C'mon, grumpy, you can feel me up, but you can't dance with me?"

Raising a brow, Levi sucked his teeth and planted his hands on the younger man's hips, pressing them flush against his. "Devious little fuck. You're gonna regret egging me on," he threatens, voice low and husky. His breath ghosts over Eren's throat, making him shiver, and he goes back to swaying his hips, teasingly brushing up against the older male. He rocks slowly, drawing out the movement, spurring Levi into a daring bout of revenge.

Releasing his grip on those tantalizing hips, the singer spins on his heel, singing along with his sultry voice, and presses his back flush to Eren's chest. He rolls and grinds his hips back against his crotch, dropping down low before easing his way back up and gripping onto his counterpart's wrist. He drags the other man's hand down his thinly clad chest, letting his body roll with the motion, and he can practically hear Eren's pulse quickening as he swallows hard. Levi lets out a breathy little chuckle, turning to face the lawyer once again as the song comes to an end.

"Bite off more than you could chew?" Levi teases, running his fingertips along the brunet's jaw, his silver eyes clouded with a lusty confidence.

Swallowing again, Eren shakes his head, his eyes trailing down the shorter male slowly, his lips curling into a salacious grin. "I can handle a lot more than that."

Levi leads him off of the dancefloor to catcalls and whistles, flipping his friends off and rolling his eyes. They end up back at the bar, sitting on their stools as they order another round of shots. He eyes Eren, resting his chin on his palm, and his face takes on a coy expression.

"I didn't take you for an exhibitionist," he drawls, leaning in close so that only his counterpart can hear. "Maybe I should've taken you for a ride, hm?"

 _Fuck,_  Eren thinks. The mental image of Levi riding him is almost too much, and in his drunken haze, he can't banish that thought from his mind. His skin is tingling, warmth flooding through him, and settling low in his groin. Without realising it, he releases a little pained groan, shifting in his seat.  _Now isn't the time to pop a fucking boner,_ he scolds himself.

A dirty chuckle from Levi draws his attention, and he turns his gaze to the other man. "Isn't it? I'd take care of it. Maybe suck you off in an alley," the musician sneers, gazing up from beneath his coal lashes.

Eren didn't realise he'd said that out fucking loud. Shit, he must have been a lot more wasted than he'd thought. They finish off the set of shots, and Levi slips from his seat, stumbling slightly, but keeping himself upright.

"Gotta take a piss," he mutters, heading off toward the restrooms at the back of the bar.

Eren watches his leather-clad ass with a mixture of hunger and awe, blinking slowly. He turns away and rubs at his left eye, wincing slightly. His eyes may be glassy from getting blitzed, but they're extremely dry, and his contact is starting to irritate his iris. After rubbing at it for only a few minutes, but what feels like ages, Eren throws his arms up in exasperation and stumbles from his stool, drunkenly marching towards the bathroom.

"Fuck it," he slurs, shoving the door open and swaying his way over to the sinks. As he stands in front of them, he brings a hand up and holds his eye open, using his fingertips to pinch the contact out. Eren tosses it into the trashbin, blinking to clear his vision. He lets out a happy sigh, glad that the irritation is gone.

"Couldn't stand being away from me?"

At the sound of the sexy, familiar voice, Eren slowly turns, spotting Levi striding over to the sink and washing his hands. He'd forgotten that the man had left to use the restroom only moments before he'd made his way here. When he doesn't respond, too lost in his swirling, hazed thoughts, the singer turns to fully regard him, a little hum rumbling in his chest. Being pretty drunk himself, with far less control over himself and a complete lack of the ability to be embarrassed of his words or actions, Levi leans towards the brunet, bringing his hand up to cup his left cheek. The pads of his fingers brush lightly over his lower lashes, and he admires that molten gold, burning its gaze down into him and making him shiver pleasantly.

"So pretty," he murmurs, not aware that his mouth was speaking the words until they've already oozed off of his tongue.

Something inside of Eren snaps, and he leans towards the other man, slender fingers clasping onto his chin. He tilts Levi's head back, following the shorter man as he presses back into the wall in surprise at the sudden movement. Eren doesn't think, doesn't have the capacity to, and his eyes fall shut as their lips meet. He's kissing Levi with all of the fire he has burning in his body, his tongue coming out to run along the seam of his lips, desperate for a taste of him. The raven-haired male makes a soft sound in his throat, his arm coming up to curl around the taller man's neck, pulling him flush against him as his mouth parts open invitingly. Eren's tongue slips past his lips, trailing fire along his own wet muscle, and they tangle together in a passionate dance. Levi's kissing Eren back like his life depends on it, his nails leaving little crescents on the flesh of his neck in an effort to keep them joined.

By the time the kiss is broken, they're both gasping for air and staring at each other. Levi trails his tongue over his bottom lip, searching out any last taste of Eren, wanting any remnant to prove that the kiss had actually just happened. The lawyer is so close, breathing his air, making his hair displace as he exhales.

Eren's voice is gravelly and low when he finally speaks. "That's your reward."

Levi watches as the brunet slowly pulls away and turns, walking out of the door and back into the bar. He brings a hand up to press against his lips, feeling the swell to them after having them abused. He leans heavily into the wall, the only thing that's holding him up at this point, as the kiss had left him feeling far more inebriated than the alcohol had.

"Fuck," he whispers to himself in a daze, his eyes still glued to the door that Eren had retreated through. "Holy fuck."

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> Soooo that was the concert and after-party! I really hoped you enjoyed all of the fucking teasing and sexual tension. You guys are gonna hate me. Don't we love cliff-hangers? Please share your thoughts in the comments below, I respond to them all! What did you think of Eren's little 'how we met' story? Are you enjoying the story so far? Let me know! Our little lawyer is having very blatant gay thoughts about our ravishing singer. Which is hella fun to write. *whispers* Give in to the gay, Eren.  
> All the love, dear readers.  
> Edit: oh, and if anyone was curious about what song I was listening to (and subsequently using) during the little dancing scene, it was Bad Things by Jace Everett. Any True Blood fans?  
> Also. Can we talk about that heated kiss? Whoo boy, guys.


	9. Invasion of the Body Snatchers: Mini-Satan Edition

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> Hello readers! I'm glad to finally get this chapter out. I've been crazy busy with work, and I ended up hanging out with a friend on one of my days off, so I'm trying to bust these out because I've got work once again tomorrow. I also sliced a good chunk of my finger off at work the other day, so that was not fun. But, I digress! Here is the next installment of the story. Apologies for any errors, grammatically or otherwise, and I hope you enjoy!

_**September-October** _

 

If anyone had asked Levi what the worst thing about being a musician was, without even a single hesitation, he would aggressively spit out 'touring', as though it were the most severe swear and left a filthy taste in his mouth. The 34 year old singer craved the feeling of coming alive on a stage, he basked in the glow of the spotlight, lived and breathed performing in stadiums jam-packed with a mass of bodies, screaming their name. His career as the frontman for a largely famous band was everything he had ever dreamed of, and more, and he wouldn't trade it for anything in the world. The only downside was touring.

It wasn't necessarily the act of traveling from place to place to hold concerts that made a tour miserable for Levi, even though he did get really uncomfortable in unfamiliar surroundings (he had a sense of direction about as shitty as his sense of humor, and had gotten lost on more occasions than he was willing to admit to), but had everything to do with how it was executed. First and foremost, the absolute bane of his existence: the bus. Their mode of transportation itself was nothing to scoff at; it was kept well-maintained and delivered them from point A to point B safely and in a timely manner. It was as spacious as a bus could possibly be, with many different forms of seating, and some form of a kitchenette built into it, as well as what one could hesitantly call a bathroom. However, there was no bedroom and only one queen sized bed shoved up against the back wall, so there was absolutely no privacy and everyone had to share the same exact mattress. The thought of other's bodily germs or fluids soaking into the bedding made his skin crawl so forcefully he was convinced it was trying to rip itself from his body. There was no way anyone could release any pent up stress on this bus, because the only 'private' room was the bathroom, and as far as Levi was concerned the door to it was paper fucking thin and offered no sort of sound barrier. Masturbation was absolutely out of the question when on the bus. And even though it seemed roomy enough when you first climbed on, it quickly became cramped as more bodies entered, and you realised just how small it actually was.

The second most prevalent issue Levi had with touring was having to share the same exact space with 4 other people 24/7 that each had their own disgusting habits and quirks. Hange had the potential to be the worst; she left clothes flung over every surface, moved about like a freshly born calf whenever she wanted to relocate on their mobile home, was far too exuberantly loud in such a small space, and generally existed as a walking catastrophe in human form. Luckily for Levi, he was mostly desensitized to her antics, having been rooming with the woman for several years now, and experiencing the worst that she had to offer. Hange was tolerable on tour, but only just, as Levi was far more irritable than normal, and was quick to anger over the smallest of things.

Erwin was annoying in that he mother-henned the entire band to death, nagging at them until Levi felt as though his ears were bleeding. The blond bastard was ever his pretentious self, never seeming like the stress of a tour got to him, and he maintained that cool superior attitude with ease. It drove the band nearly insane to watch as he remained insufferably level-headed and calm, yet was quick to throw in the last word if he deemed it necessary. Eyebrows had had more than one cushion smack him in the face with deadly accuracy, courtesy of a short-tempered, foul-mouthed, pent-up singer, who was rather sick and tired of the same mantra being repeated at him as if he were a precocious toddler that needed proper scolding.

Their producer, Farlan, always tagged along, and he would take turns driving the bus with Erwin, so that they both could get rest in intervals, and not send them all to their fiery deaths.  _He_  got under Levi's skin because he was just as loud as Hange, if not moreso. Even though he was good friends with the band members, he could never seem to stop sucking them off, and while it was appreciated during a particularly brutal recording session, it got fucking annoying really quick on the tour bus. There had been plenty of times that Levi had threatened to ditch the producer in a random city or town because he absolutely would not shut the fuck up.

Miche was the absolute worst to travel with, and Levi thanked his lucky stars that they did not live together on a normal day-to-day basis. The drummer had no qualms with taking the bed whenever he wanted it, even to the point that he would shove anyone else in it, out onto the floor, and sprawl his giant body out over the mattress so that nobody could climb into it. He was notoriously shit at sharing anything, and would bitch and moan obnoxiously if Erwin forced him into it after receiving an influx of complaints from the two roommates. Not to mention the man snored at a thunderous decibel; it was so loud Levi could still hear it through his noise-cancelling headphones, and  _felt the tremors rattling his bones_  even though they were as far apart as space would allow. Miche was a bathroom hog, and took the most repugnant, loud, gag-inducing shits that Levi ever had the displeasure of hearing through a thin door. No matter how many windows they opened, or cans of air freshener they used, the stench would stick around for at  _least_  an hour. As bad as all of that was, the final straw for Levi was the fact that Miche had to sniff  _everything._  Any food item they had, no matter if he'd eaten it before, the drummer would come up and damn near stick his schnoz into it to take a massive whiff. Sometimes days would pass where Levi would refuse to eat anything on the bus out of a paranoia that Miche's disgusting nose had tainted all of the food.

These were all perfectly rational and apt reasons on their own for why Levi detested going on tour, but they certainly weren't the only reasons. The time crunch did perhaps the worst damage on his psyche; he rarely slept, and the times they were able to rent out separate hotel rooms were few and far between, because as soon as a concert was finished, they were typically right back on the road to rush to make it to the next location. Levi felt like he scarcely had time to breathe with how fast they had to move. Everything was go, go, go, passing by him in a blur of color and light and noise. It was during tours that the man's insomnia hit him the worst, and his mood would dip severely, careening southward with no end in sight. He typically lost weight, hardly ate anything, and was generally more short-tempered than normal. Levi absolutely loathed the toll touring took on his body, and it aggravated him to no end that he could not do a damn thing to fix it.

On every tour that had ever preceded the one they were about to embark on, 4 unfortunate people were always trapped in the clutches of a short-tempered, foul-mouthed, pent-up, sleep-deprived, horny, miniature Satan, and not a single reprieve was ever given to them. Thus, the same was to be expected on this very tour; everyone had long ago made their peace with it, and kissed their asses goodbye, because by the time they returned home, they were sure to be missing, or torn asunder with a new asshole.

* * *

The afterparty had stretched into the wee hours of the morning; Eren had left with his sister hours before, after he had walked out of the bathroom and left Levi in a daze of heat. Farlan, having taken a shine to Isabel, spent the majority of the time moping after the siblings had left, dejectedly drinking his beer. Nobody really paid him any mind, too far gone in their inebriated hazes to register anything other than the fun they were all having. By the time that early morning rolled around, Petra was entirely smashed and openly weeping about how much she would miss her friends; Eld was gently shushing her and supporting nearly the entirety of her weight as she leaned heavily into him, and Gunther was carrying Aurou, who had passed out thirty minutes earlier, out to his car like a damn Disney princess. Erwin was ushering the band into the tour bus that he'd left to secure god knows when, while the friends were all exchanging goodbyes and promises to keep in touch.

Levi felt like he was walking through a dream; his head was weighed down by all the alcohol he'd consumed, swimming heavily with blurred vision, and the rest of his body felt as though it were detached from him, floating off somewhere in the clouds. The singer was acting rather reserved, silence pervading the air around him, and he quietly climbed onto the bus, moving to sit at one of the plush bench seats and staring blankly out of the window. His mind was elsewhere, still absorbed with the kiss, churning with questions as to the 'how's and 'why's. He was so lost in his own thoughts that he didn't notice when Miche made a B-line to the bed and practically threw himself onto it, sprawling out like a starfish. Nor did he realise that Hange had seated herself next to him and that the bus had begun moving.

He feels confused, and heavily attracted to Eren, moreso now than he had before the kiss. It had sent tingles running through his body, electricity shooting all the way down to his toes and making him weak in the knees. Hange slinging her arms around him and leaning into his shoulder draws his gaze over to his best friend, taking in the questioning and mildly concerned expression on her face, but it doesn't quite remove him from his own mind. Brooding never solved anything, even though he can't help but to want to speculate on the enigma that is Eren Jaeger. Levi already feels himself deciding that it would be best left not to bring it up with the lawyer, because there are far too many factors in play that he can't eliminate. For such an open brat with expressive, bright eyes, he's surprisingly wrapped in mystery. The musician can't dissect him or unravel his mind just by observing his behavior, mannerisms, or taking apart the way that he speaks. He really doesn't understand why Eren is so okay with his open flirting, and is even flirting back. Sure, it could all be in good fun, absolutely harmless, not at all meant in any way. In fact, that's the most likely option, which shouldn't weigh Levi's chest down with disappointment the way it does.

Regardless, it doesn't explain why Eren kissed him. In the end, Levi decides that it doesn't really matter, and that he won't bring it up with the lawyer unless the other man does so first. He really doesn't want to make Eren feel uncomfortable unnecessarily; it could have been a fluke, or just a drunken mistake. People experience a lack of inhibitions when intoxicated, which the singer understands  _very_  well. Hell, for all he knew, it could have just been that his counterpart was very aware of just how much Levi was attracted to him, and decided to tease him for it. With that resolved, he finally shoves the thoughts aside and focuses his attentions fully on Hange, who has only looked increasingly concerned the longer time has gone on in silence without her roommate shoving her off of him.

With a surreptitious glance around, Levi quickly scans their surroundings and the occupants of the bus; Miche is snoring away on the bed, Farlan is passed out in the passenger seat, and Erwin is focused on driving on the highway through the darkness of night. Jerking his head to gesture at the woman to follow him, Levi slips free of her grasp and moves deeper into the bus, not wanting to chance being overheard by Bushybrows. Hange dutifully follows, and after a few moments the two bandmates find themselves huddled together on a loveseat, nearer to the bed, where he can be sure that the god-awful snores will drown out their conversation.

His bandmate curls her legs underneath herself, leaning in close with her head cocked to the side. "Levi?" Her voice holds all of her burning curiosity, which reflects itself in her chestnut gaze.

Levi licks his lips, slowly blinking his lidded eyes as if still trying to process everything, and he swears that he can still taste the faint essence of Eren on his tongue. "He kissed me," he murmurs, hushed, as though desperately trying to keep the candle's flame of a secret from going out.

Hange squeaks, quick to silence herself, before bringing herself even closer and dropping her voice dramatically several octaves. "Are you shitting me? You're not shitting me, are you?"

Her roommate shakes his head hesitantly, settling in as close as he can get, until their shoulders are pressed together. He gets comfortable, drawing his legs up to his chest and curling his arms around them. "It happened in the bathroom, right before he left with Izzy. I don't know why, and I doubt he even knows, himself."

"So  _that's_  why he looked like a tomato when he left the bathroom!" She whisper-shouted, holding her index finger in the air like she'd just had an epiphany. "His face was all red up to his ears, he was practically steaming," Hange intones, a little chuckle fleeing her lips. "It was adorable. I thought he'd taken an embarrassingly stinky shit or something."

Levi rolls his eyes, a sliver of a smirk curling his lips. "Nobody else has  _anything_  on Miche." His head lolls onto her shoulder, and he gazes off into the distance, his eyes heavily lidded as he once again replays 'the Kiss'. It had felt rather clumsy, like Eren wasn't particularly experienced enough to gain skill in the matter of locking lips. Even with how unsure it had felt, the determination and fire put into it had left Levi breathless, and dare he even think it, wanting more.

"So, what are you gonna do about it, shortstuff?" Hange asks after several minutes passed, filled with only the sound of the road beneath them, and monstrous snores.

Shrugging, he flicks his gaze up to her face. "Nothing—unless he does first. There're too many unknowns, and I don't like to play with things that could blow up in my face without me even realising that that could have been a possibility. I won't even mention it. It's up to him if he wants to bring it up... if he even remembers it, that is. He  _was_  pretty blitzed."

His roommate is nodding along before he's even finished speaking, humming her agreement. "That's probably a really good idea. Like you said before, apart from all of this grey area with you, he seems straight as an arrow. This could just be him playing a really intense game of gay chicken, or he might actually be exploring something that never occurred to him to experiment with before." Hange gasps, her hands coming up to clap over her mouth as she eyes him with glittering irises. "You could be his gay awakening!"

"Tch, you're insufferable." Levi spits, scowling as he gives her the stink-eye.  _Don't get my hopes up,_  he thinks fleetingly, abandoning that train of thought before it can even be acknowledged. "Now shut up and go to sleep. I'm fuckin' tired."

"You love me, little grumpy!" Hange cooes, settling back and wrapping her arms around Levi's smaller frame. She stretches out her legs along the cushions and rests against the arm of the loveseat. The raven-haired man easily settles between her legs, his head pillowed on her chest, and his arm curling against her side.

He doesn't even have to threaten her to keep the fact that he's actually quite the cuddly person to herself; being best friends for god knows how many years, she'd seen him at his best—and his very lowest—and had never once judged him, nor given him a reason not to trust her. She may be annoying, but he really wouldn't trade her for anything, and he appreciated her more than he would ever say, all whilst giving her a healthy dose of shit. Can't have her getting a full head, after all.

"This'd be more comfortable if you had bigger tits," he mutters, snuggling into her further in direct contradiction of his biting remark. Hange merely snort-laughs, whacking him lightly on the back of the head and telling him to shut the fuck up. Sleep comes easily enough in their alcohol-sedated states.

The next few days pass uneventfully, although being trapped on the bus is slowly starting to drive everyone a little stir crazy. Levi is already in a foul mood, his irritability is sky-rocketing, and he spends most of the time glaring holes into his phone. Any time someone dares to even bring it up, or pass in his general line of sight, he snaps angrily and fixes his meanest death-glare onto them until they get the fuck away from him. After five days, Hange decides that enough is enough; she has an idea what's ailing her little grumpy, after all, and she won't let it drop until it gets remedied. Levi's temperament is a thousand times worse than it normally is on tour, and she has no doubts that if she doesn't step up now, none of them will make it out alive.

Hange plops down on the bed next to Levi, where he's curled himself up on his side. The aura surrounding him is dark and heavy, and she's just about had enough of his wet-kitten moping. Her hand scoops up his cell-phone and shoves it close to his face, earning a grumbling hiss and a well-aimed kick. Persevering, she grips onto his wrist and shoves the device into his limp hand, getting up close and personal with him so that they are meeting one another's eyes. Leveling him with her most serious, stern expression, she hardens her tone of voice, leaving no room for argument.

"Text him," she commands, her jaw set. They stare each other down for a good ten seconds, and he opens his mouth as if he's going to attempt to argue with her. She cuts him off easily, pressing the phone a little harder against his palm. "I'm willing to bet the reason he hasn't texted you yet is because he thinks you don't have an interest in talking to him, and he doesn't want to bother you. So man the fuck up, and just text him."

Silence, and a mutinous glare are the only response she receives. A wicked little grin splits her lips, and she gets a devious glint in her eyes. "Or  _I_  will do it for you."

The effectiveness of that simple statement is quite the sight to see. Without a moment's hesitation more, Levi is sitting up and bringing the screen to life, unlocking it with a swiftness that she didn't know him to possess. He pulls up the messaging app and clicks on  _Shitty Brat_ , his fingers hovering over the keys as he tries to think of something intelligent and  _not_  socially awkward to say. He settles with a simple hey, then locks the screen once more and moves to set it down. He refuses to stare at it like some puppy while waiting for a response.

His hand gets nowhere near the little table by the bed before it's vibrating in his hand, the device lighting up with a new message.

 _'Took you long enough,'_  is the cheeky response he gets, and he sucks his teeth, a small smile breaking out over his lips.

Thus starts their correspondence over the tour. Levi finds that he spends most of his time occupied with messaging Eren back and forth, the only time neither of them talk being when they're asleep or the band is performing. If his mood had been gradually worsening before, it's like someone had thrown a switch and suddenly snapped him back. The singer is far calmer than he normally is on tour, chewing his bandmates and company out significantly less. It's almost unnerving to see him wrapped up in a relaxed air; he's certainly still far from nice by a normal standpoint, but for Levi, this  _is_  nice. And it's kind of creeping everyone out, though they don't bring it up out of fear of losing a limb.

On one sleepless night, Levi absentmindedly finds himself calling Eren. They'd been texting nonstop, so he was certain that the brunet brat was still awake, although he tensed up at the fact that he hadn't asked if calling was okay. Just as he was about to hang up and rethink the action, Eren answers on the third ring.

 _"Hey, what's up?"_  He asks, entirely nonchalant, and Levi finds himself relaxing into his seat with an inaudible sigh.

"What's up is that I can't fucking sleep," he huffs, tugging his blanket closer and further cocooning himself.

 _"...Would that have anything to do with whatever the fuck that noise is?"_  Eren's voice comes through, crackling from the horrible reception, but sounding no less confused.

" _That_  would be Miche. He snores like a chainsaw fucking a bear up the ass," Levi grumbles angrily, shooting a glare towards where Miche's mass is currently sprawled the fuck out.

Eren snorts, choking on a shocked laugh, as if he doesn't quite know how to react to that phrase.  _"I_ — _what. Levi, what the fuck does that even sound like? Holy shit,"_  he trails off, suppressed laughter making his voice tremble.

"Tch," Levi sucks his teeth, a smirk pulling unbidden at his lips. "Exactly the noise that you're hearing, brat."

 _"I can't_ — _the mental image I'm getting is fucking repulsive. How the hell did you even think of that? What goes on in that brain of yours, old man?"_  At this point, the lawyer is wheezing, his chuckles coming out sounding pained, but no less amused.

Levi shrugs, leaning heavily into the arm of the chair, his lids drifting lower over his eyes as he lets a secret smile sit on his face. "It just pops into my head, Eren. What can I say, I'm a comedic genius."

 _"Fucked up is what you are, Levi,"_  Eren breathes, finally getting himself under control.  _"I shudder to think what else goes on in there."_  With this, he almost sounds coy. Is he... flirting?

The singer decides to toe the waters, his voice lowering several octaves and taking on that smooth-as-sin tone. "I think you'd be surprised to find that you might like the things I think up."

A breathy little chuckle, his own tone getting lower. " _Oh, is that so? Care to enlighten me a little?"_  His counterpart adopts a slight purr to his words, and yup, definitely flirting, Levi decides.

"Hmm," he hums thoughtfully, toying with the hem of his blanket. "I said you'd like it, not that you could handle it, little boy," he drawls, a shit-eating grin curling up the corners of his lips.

Eren's breath catches audibly, and Levi has to bite back a laugh at the response he gets.  _"You dirty old man. You're a pervert."_  A pause, and a much more ruffled tone of voice, displaying that the brunet is offended by his statement.  _"I could too fucking handle it."_

"Somehow I'm doubting that, Bright Eyes," the raven-haired male says with a roll of his eyes.

The sound that the lawyer makes at the nickname is almost comical, and entirely endearing; it's like a cross between a squeak of surprise and of embarrassment, and the older man just eats it up.

 _"Just go to sleep, Levi,"_  the brunet says softly, sounding ever the petulant child.  _"You have another concert tomorrow, right?"_  The concern can be heard very clearly this time, and it warms the singer's chest, making it buzz with a foreign feeling.

"You get some sleep too, kid. I'm sure you have some lawyer-shit to do bright and early." A beat of silence, and then the sound of Eren shifting beneath his covers is caught through the reciever, followed by a soft yawn. "Good night, brat."

 _"Night, old man,"_  Eren hums cheekily, and then the call ends.

Levi lays there for who knows how long, feeling warmth spreading outward from his chest, and a stupid little smile on his lips. His phone is clutched tightly in his hand against his chest, and he nuzzles deeper into his makeshift bed, letting his eyes drift shut. He's glad that he listened to Hange and texted Eren when he had, because he finds himself surprisingly wanting to make an effort with their friendship. That's pretty rare behavior for Levi, if he's being honest. He files all that away, and let's sleep take him.

* * *

After wrapping up on stage, Levi struts back into the dressing room, shoving a gloved hand back through his sweat-damp locks. The first thing he does when he's alone in the room is remove the leather straps concealing the majority of his face, letting out a relieved sigh. He looks down at his outfit and wrinkles his nose, shuddering at the feel of sticky PVC against his skin. Picking up his phone, he slides open the camera and aims it at himself, making sure to capture the majority of his form. His lips curl down into a pouty scowl, and his lidded eyes gaze straight into the camera. He snaps the picture, then sends it to Eren with the caption  _'I hate polyvinyl. My dick is chaffing from my fucking sweat.'_

He tosses his phone down and immediately begins his efforts to strip. It's a slow process and leaves his skin feeling particularly raw as he inches it down, trying to shove it off carefully. It pinches his skin, causing him to wince, and he glares down at the dreaded material as though he will somehow scare it off of his body. The sound of his phone vibrating draws his attention, and he stops with the pants halfway down his thighs, waddling over to his phone and thanking his lucky stars that no one else is in here to see him. He scoops up the cell and types in his pin, opening up to Eren's response.

 _'It doesn't look that uncomfortable. Plus, you look hot,'_  is the cheeky text that he gets, and Levi rolls his eyes, shaking his head. He can't really blame the brunet for not getting the discomfort, he doubts that the younger man has ever worn PVC in his life.

Levi shimmies the pants down a little farther, exposing sweaty reddened thighs, and then snaps a picture of his lower body with his free hand resting over his crotch. He can at least be a little modest, although considering some of the photo shoots he's done, this is downright tasteful.

 _'I always look hot, brat. This is the aftermath,'_  he types out, then sends it off along with the picture. The singer continues his plight, slowly working his way out of the pants, and praying that it'll stop sticking to him like a second skin. He lets out a sigh of relief as he finally manages to successfully remove them, and then he's onto unbuttoning his vest and tossing it aside. He tugs the long sleeve mesh pullover off last, letting it drop from his fingers when he hears his phone vibrating.

 _'Holy shit, how tight is that?'_  Attached his his own picture, and Levi greedily opens it. Eren is staring at the camera with concern in his jewel-like eyes, but his face is beautifully flushed, almost like he had been embarrassed by something. He was wearing pajama pants, and nothing else.  _Damn_ , the brat was fucking ripped. His body was definitely chiseled by the gods, and Levi swore he could feel himself drooling. The musician had the desire to run his tongue up along the brunet's abs, and he swallowed audibly.

Saving the picture, Levi quickly typed out a response.  _'Tight enough to squeeze the circulation out of my nuts and make me consider a career as a choirboy.'_

The singer stands up, ditching his clothing and making his way quickly over to the bathroom in the dressing room. He wants to catch a shower here while he can, considering the one on the bus leaves him feeling frigid and unable to stretch out or move around too much, and that they'll once again be back out on the road. No rest for the wicked, as they say. The band has yet to be able to crash at a hotel, something the raven-haired male's body reminds him of every time he moves; he's got a throbbing crick in his neck, and his back is cracking like an old man's.

Finishing up his shower, Levi quickly dresses in something comfortable, a pair of terrycloth shorts and a baggy sweater that nearly hides the shorts from view, and gathers his phone. He leaves the clothes, knowing Eyebrows has some people that will come to collect them, have them cleaned, and then delivered to whatever location they're needed at. Shoving his feet into a pair of slippers, the singer struts from the dressing room and makes his way to the back door. He eases into the tour bus and plops down on the bed, crossing his legs and settling back against the wall. He can hear the shower running, so he knows at least one of his bandmates is on the bus. Their manager is nowhere to be seen, and Farlan is already sitting at the wheel, snacking on something loudly.

Assuming that Eren probably fell asleep from his lack of response, he's starting to get settled, letting his lids droop heavily. Nothing like performing on stage to wear him down to the bone. He startles when his phone vibrates, and looks down in confusion to see a FaceTime request.  _Shitty Brat_  blinks across the screen, and Levi scrambles up, searching around for his headphones. He lets out a victorious huff as his fingers secure themselves around them, and he plugs them into the jack, untangling them and shoving an earbud into his ear. Swiping his thumb to accept the call, he lifts up his camera and cocks his head to the side, raising a brow. Eren comes into view, sitting in a dim room, his face lit up by the light of his screen.

He gives a cheeky smirk, shifting his body to get comfortable.  _"Surprised to see me?"_

"Tch, brat. Isn't it past your bed time?" The singer gives a haughty smirk of his own, his eyes flashing playfully as the brunet pouts and huffs.

 _"And here I thought that maybe you'd missed my face. Instead you're just being an_ old  _man. Don't you need to soak your dentures?"_  The lawyer bites out, flashing his pearly whites in a feisty grin.

"Way to split my sides with laughter, kid," Levi teases, although he does find himself chuckling and shaking his head. "I have all my teeth, fuckstick."

 _"You have just over a month left, right?"_  Eren asks suddenly, his face serious.

At the abrupt conversation change, Levi stares at his counterpart, studying his features. He nods his head in confirmation, sitting up slightly and mussing up his hair with a hand, trying to stifle a yawn. "Why do you ask?"

 _"I was just wondering..."_  the brunet trails off, his eyes drifting as he settles his gaze elsewhere. He squints, bringing his face closer to the screen and staring hard at the shorter man, once again changing the subject.  _"Is your hair wavy?"_

The singer blinks slowly, dropping his hand from his hair, and flicks his iris down to the little image of himself. He scowls, tugging on one of his locks, and releases a huffy sigh. "Yeah, it is."

 _"Has it always been wavy?"_  Eren asks, his voice soft and muted, coming off as if he's talking more to himself.

"Yeah, it's the way my hair is naturally. I usually get it permanently straightened, but it's been over six months since I got it done, and I've been manually using a flat iron." Levi settles back into the wall, his eyes flicking up as he spots Hange climbing onto the bus with Erwin. The two get situated, and then the bus is roaring to life, and taking off to their next destination.

 _"Do you not like it wavy?"_  His attention is drawn back to Eren, and he shakes his head firmly. The brunet frowns, though it looks far more like a pout, leaning closer to the camera.  _"Well, I do. It looks really good."_

Levi can feel his cheeks growing warm, flushing a delicate pink, and he avoids the lawyer's gaze as he grumbles out a thanks. They talk for a little longer, and then wish each other a good night. The musician abandons his phone and earbuds on the night table, curling up in a blanket with a yawn. He must have drifted off at some point, because the next thing he's aware of is Hange slipping in next to him with damp hair, snuggling up to his side. The two are quiet for a while, as Levi absently watches Miche and Erwin talking up towards the front of the bus.

His eyes are falling shut, ready to succumb to sleep, but Hange's murmured voice keeps him in the land of the living for that much longer.

"Has he mentioned anything about 'the Kiss'?" She asks softly, resting her chin atop his head.

Levi merely grunts, stifling a yawn as best as he can. He can tell that his bandmate is about to start speaking again, so he lightly smacks her in the face and orders her to go to sleep.

The next three weeks pass in a blur. They were finally able to book hotel rooms, recouping in their private quarters away from one another. The singer had taken full advantage of that, and used much of his time to release his pent-up energy. He didn't know the next time he'd be able to rub one out, so he made sure to at least settle his craving, using pictures and dirty little fantasies of a certain bright-eyed brat to get off. When on the bus, he kept mostly to himself, his temper tamped down on drastically, to the point where his friends noticed the difference in his behavior. Hange spent a majority of the time observing her best friend, who was too absorbed in his little bubble to notice.

The singer still wasn't eating much, nor was he getting near enough sleep, but even if he was angered, he was quick to cool down. For the majority of their tour, Levi curled up in the same spot on the little loveseat, blanket draped around him and keeping him cocooned. Hell must have frozen over, because the foul-mouthed man with resting bitch face, actually had the faintest ghosting of a smile on his lips most of the time his nose was buried in his phone. His eyes had a softer edge, and really, Hange was entirely thankful to Eren for keeping mini-Satan under control. As much as it still blew hard to be trapped on a bus 24/7 with too many people, having Levi in a relatively good mood made for a much more relaxing time. She sneakily took pictures of her best friend throughout the tour, with him entirely unaware that she was compiling a collection of him.

With one week left on the tour, the entire band was itching to get back home. They had one more concert to put on, followed by three straight days of driving to finally make it back home to Trost. The closer the day got, the higher everyone's spirits were lifting, and even Levi was feeling excited about the tour drawing to a close. His mood only improved with one simple text from Eren.

_'Good news: all charges have been dropped.'_

Relief flooded through the singer as he read through that message several times over, followed by an intense gratitude. Without even thinking, Levi found himself dialing the lawyer's number, holding the cell against his ear as he waited impatiently for it to click through. He was beginning to feel a bit antsy as the ringing continued, but relaxed when that telltale  _click_  of the line being connected sounded in his ear.

 _"Levi?"_  Eren's voice came through, crackling to life over the unstable reception.

"Hey, brat. I just..." Levi took a breath, his cheeks flushing softly with color as he cleared his throat. He glanced around the bus carefully, noting that not a single person was paying attention to him. Still, he moved deeper into the bus, distancing himself from them, and let his voice drop several octaves. "I wanted to say thanks, Eren."

 _"It's no problem,"_  the brunet responded cheerfully, although he sounded positively tickled pink.  _"I'm glad I was able to help. And..."_  Now Eren hesitated, and Levi could hear him shifting around, as if he were nervous about his next words. They came out sounding soft and unsure, his voice low and stuttering as he spoke.  _"When you're back, well. I was just hop-I thought, maybe... D'you wanna hang out? With me?"_  His counterpart made a little noise of distress in the back of his throat, and there was more shuffling on his end.

The singer's face split into an aching smile, and he chuckled lightly as he leaned back against one of the walls, his free hand coming up to rub against the shaved part of his hair. "That sounds like fun. I'm game, brat." Levi felt a little apprehension at the thought. Would things be weird, or awkward? He wasn't sure how things were going to be after 'the Kiss', and nervousness sat low in his stomach, mingling with worry. He dismissed it just as fast, firmly telling himself that he would make sure to act normal, and that things would be fine. He hummed in thought, running his fingers through his wavy locks. "Figure out what you want to do, and then let me know. I get back on Saturday."

Eren released a relieved little laugh, a small sigh trailing after it, and he once again sounded like his confident self.  _"I can do that. I gotta get back to work, so. Bye, old man."_

"Tch, cheeky brat. Bye."

Levi wanted to spill to Hange immediately after the call ended, but figured he could hold back until everyone else was mostly asleep. He couldn't just tug her away from the group without looking suspicious, so he instead moved over to his seat and curled up on it, settling in and wasting time going through his phone. His chest had that warm, buzzing feeling again, and he stared down at the calendar app, still smiling.

Only four more days to go, and he'd be back in Trost.

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> And there it is! Now, this was supposed to be more inclusive of Eren's POV, but there were too many things I wanted to have put in, so it just ended up being too long. So, I split it in half, and that means, you're getting a double-update! Yay! Two chapters of the tour from separate POVs. I hope you'll enjoy them both! I WILL get the next chapter up tonight before I go to bed, so hopefully this will keep you all sated and excited until then.  
> So, what do you think of this chapter? Don't we all just love Hange? What are your thoughts? Please leave comments, they can be rambly or otherwise, I respond to them all! Comments really keep me going; they make my day brighter, and you're all so unique and sweet with your thoughts. All the love!


	10. Denial and Anxiety are Lovers

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> And here we have the second update! I'm so happy I was able to finish them both today and get them up. I hope you guys love them! I had so much fun making them.  
> I want to make a shoutout to a friend of mine; Ethan, thank you so fucking much for being my sounding bored when I was extremely sleep-deprived. Everyone should know that Ethan put up with hearing my little one-liners so that I could see if it was funny (because it amused me, but might not amuse others) late at night because I have no concept of time or sleep. So thank you, Ethan! You're amazing, and I dedicate these chapters to you. All the love.  
> Also, a thanks to everyone who has read this! Thank you all for 2,000+ hits and nearly 200 kudos. I am so happy to have you all reading this and giving feedback. I have so much fun writing this, and I just want to bring a little joy and light to other's lives.  
> Please enjoy reading this next installment! Apologies for any errors, grammatical or otherwise, I gave this a cursory sweep and it is not beta'd.

Eren shot up like a bullet, stumbling out of his bed and into his en suite bathroom, a hand smacking over his mouth. Falling to his knees clumsily in front of the toilet, he leaned over the porcelain bowl and heaved violently. Vomit spilled from his lips, his stomach convulsing sharply as it forced its contents to empty. He retched and hacked, gasping for breath when he got a momentary reprieve. Eren groaned piteously, resting his forehead against the cool seat, his eyes falling shut. He'd been so distracted by his sudden and intense urge to vomit, that he hadn't noticed his head throbbing; now that he had, it pounded with a vengeance, making him wince and whine low in his throat. After another round of puking his guts out, the brunet finally felt like his stomach had sorted itself out, and he shakily leaned back, reaching up to flush the toilet. He dropped back against the wall, letting his legs sprawl out along the blessedly cool tile.

Isabel was standing in the doorway, leaning her hip against the doorframe as she studied her brother with piercing viridian irises beneath her dark lashes. "You look like shit," she stated simply, before padding even further into the bathroom, her nose wrinkling at the faint smell of vomit. She stuck a glass of water in his hand, pushing two aspirin into the palm of the other. "You might want to wash your mouth out before you take these."

The lawyer was lucky to have such a caring little sister. Izzy helped him to his feet and tugged him over to the counter, monitoring him as he swirled water around his mouth and spit it out, before brushing his teeth rather violently. Anything to get the putrid taste of bile off of his tongue. After he was satisfied, he dutifully took the pills, drinking down the entirety of the glass and earning a grin from his sister. They exited the bathroom, and made their way down to the kitchen, where Isabel sat down on a barstool, leaning her elbows onto the counter. She was still watching her brother with that quizzical expression blanketing her features, and it set Eren's nerves on edge.

He started moving around the kitchen, pulling out a carton of eggs, a loaf of bread, and a package of bacon. He certainly wouldn't be indulging in the greasy pork this morning, not after painting the porcelain throne, but Izzy loved bacon, and he knew she'd appreciate it if he put in the effort, despite his raging hangover. He just hoped that the scent of it while it cooked wouldn't send him running for the toilet for another round of heaving. A silence fell over the room while he cooked, the only noise being the sizzling of the eggs and bacon and the scraping of the spatula along the frying pan.

Having had enough of the weight of awkward silence, Eren finally decided to speak up. "How do you want your eggs? Scrambled or over-hard?"

Another heavy moment of quiet, before Isabel finally parted her lips. "You were in a hurry to leave the party last night." She watched with keen eyes as her brother's back spasmed and tensed up, his shoulders setting stiffly. "...Any particular reason why?"

The lawyer kept his tone even and light. "Scrambled or over-hard?"

"You know I'm not going to let it drop, so you might as well spill," Izzy warned, her words coming out lilting and sing-song.

"Scrambled or over-hard," Eren repeated again, the question falling out of his voice and taking on the hard edge of a demand.

Izzy pouted out her bottom lip, but luckily for her brother, he wasn't facing her, and couldn't be swayed. A sigh, then, "...scrambled."

She let it drop for the duration of time it took for him to finish cooking and serving up their food. He brought the plates over to the island where she was sat, and then started setting out jams, butter, and the salt and pepper. Eren sat beside Isabel, buttering his toast in silence. The redhead slipped from her stool with a little grunt of exertion, marched over to the refrigerator, and grabbed the bottle of ketchup. She came back to the counter and situated herself back in her seat, popping it open and dousing her eggs.

The brunet eyed her distastefully, making a noise of disgust in the back of his throat. Isabel turned to give her brother a disbelieving raise of the brow. "Eren, we're German. We put ketchup on everything."

"I don't," he huffed, wrinkling his nose up. "Ketchup does  _not_  belong on eggs. That's nasty, Iz."

His sister burst into laughter, curling in on herself and clutching onto her stomach. "Sometimes I forget that you're an adult. Don't be so picky about food. Embrace your German roots," she cooed, lifting a forkful of the culinary atrocity towards her brother.

He quickly leaned back, nearly sending himself careening to the floor, and shot her a dirty glare. "Knock it off Izzy!"

She swiftly brought the fork back to her own mouth and ate it before her older brother could knock it from her grasp, chewing happily at the taste. She ignored her brother's muttered  _gross,_  stuffing her face for a little while longer, then set her fork down and gave Eren a serious look.

"Eren, you are my brother, and I love you. You can tell me anything, and you know I'll keep it a secret," her grave tone made him pause in taking a bite of his toast, and he sighed slowly, placing it carefully back on his plate. Izzy watched him with her viridian gaze to make sure he wouldn't try to make a break for it, and then continued. "So, tell me why we had to leave the party in such a rush?"

"Okay," the brunet breathed, rubbing at his mismatched eyes to give himself a moment to gather his thoughts. "I was trying to drink Levi under the table. And I got pretty drunk..."

" _Yeah_ , you sure did," Isabel confirmed with a raise of her brow, enunciating the first word heavily. "You only let loose and dance like that once you've been pumped with liquor."

"Don't remind me," Eren groaned, flushing at the memory of dancing pressed up against Levi as they both tried to tease the other. "Anyway, after...  _that._.. we went back to drinking, and he had to use the restroom. He was gone for maybe a couple of minutes, and my contact started to bother me. So, I went and took it out in the bathroom."

"Okayyyy, and that's all? What, did you see his dick? Was it bigger than yours or something? Did it wound your pride? Did you want to go get a new contact?" Isabel questioned, listing them off of her fingers as she spoke.

The brunet glared at her, covering her mouth with his hand to silence her. " _No_ , none of those things happened,  _shut up._ " The redhead licked his hand and he retracted it like it had been burned, rubbing her saliva off on a napkin while giving her a dirty look.

Isabel giggled softly, blowing a kiss at her brother, before getting a curious and serious look on her face. "Well, then what did happen?"

"I—well." Eren went completely pink, his ears burning with the intensity of his blush, and he pushed his eggs around on his plate with his fork, his heart palpitating wildly against his sternum. "I. I k-kissed him." The lawyer tried—and horribly failed—to adopt an innocent expression.

He was absorbed in the memory; the feeling of Levi kissing him back with all that he had, the taste of his tongue still holding hints of alcohol, the hungry way his own lips were being devoured. It made him shiver, embarrassed him, and filled him with an intense wave of panic. His chest tightened with so many  _feelings_ , but he could only put a name to two of them, and so those were the only two he focused on: _anxiety_  and  _fear._  He remembered staring Levi down, some unfamiliar desire burning at his veins, how he wanted so badly to act on whatever instinct was driving him, but that ever-present anxiety drew him back and out of the door. And really, it was for the best. He'd already made a huge mistake, but it could be blamed fully on the fact that he was extremely inebriated. He left Levi in the bathroom, with reddened and kiss-swollen lips, staring after him with his molten silver bedroom gaze, and immediately went to find his sister. When he spotted Isabel, he'd stumbled over to the table where she'd holed herself up with Farlan, and grabbed her arm. He was desperate to get away, and he felt like she could tell by the way concern flickered in her green eyes, and how fast she was to say her goodbyes and lead him from the bar. They were both lucky that she had gotten her driver's license the year before, and Eren slid clumsily into the passenger seat as she started the car.

Back in the present, Eren could feel that chartreuse gaze staring holes into him, and when he finally manned up to meet her eyes, all he saw was concern and love. He let out a small sigh of relief, his shoulders losing some of their tension, and he relaxed, but only just.

Isabel hesitates, wanting to word this in the best way possible. She wants to show her brother that he has her undivided support. The redhead has never really understood why the lawyer cares so much about what their parent's think, or how he can continue to bend over backwards for them the way that he does. She's respected that, though, and dutifully kept any secret locked away tightly that he shared with her. The fear in his eyes was always alarming, but apart from the fact that the Jaeger's were uppity religious assholes, she wasn't sure where it could be stemming from. She lacked the bravery to ask.

Steeling her nerves, she takes a deep, slow breath, and makes her tone light and sweet as she rests one of her hands on top of his. "My only suggestion is for you to explore what made you kiss him in the first place.  _All_  of the options. And..." Her eyes move away from his, staring pointedly at her plate of mostly untouched food. "It's okay, you know? It's okay that you kissed him. And it's okay if you decide you want to do it again. Like, if you end up realising you have an attraction to him or something, once you explore."

Eren gives a nervous laugh, raking his hands back through his messy hair and mussing it even further. His chest tightens with anxiety, and the smile that he's forcing flickers. It's not okay, it's the furthest thing from okay. That can  _never_  be the reason, and it can't happen again. It's okay that it was a fluke, a mistake. He didn't  _mean_  to kiss Levi, it just happened, because he was drunk and had no proper judgments whatsoever. His inhibitions weren't there to hold him back, because he drank just a bit too much alcohol. That's all it was. That's all it was ever  _going to be._  With those desperate thoughts, he shoved it all away, and met Isabel's worried gaze with a sheepish half-smile. He rubbed the back of his head and forced another chuckle.

"I'm pretty sure it was just a drunken mistake, Iz. Things like that happen. So, don't worry about it, okay?" His turquoise and golden eyes practically begged her to accept his feeble reasoning, and because she loved her brother and didn't want to push him too far... she conceded.

"All right," Izzy said simply with a shrug, giving him a grin of her own. "But I'm still here when you need to talk regardless. Can't get rid of your annoying little sister  _that_ easily."

Eren felt his body relaxing, and a more natural smile bled onto his lips as he ruffled her hair, earning a yelp and a quick punch to the stomach. The lawyer also wasn't an idiot, and seized the distraction to change the subject, removing the focus from himself. "So, Farlan, huh?"

The way Isabel lit up like a Christmas tree was more telling than words could ever be, and even as she stuttered and tripped over her denials, Eren could tell that she had a crush on the blond producer. He could see the dreamy look in her eyes, and the dark flush of her cheeks made it just as obvious. So, like a good older brother, he spent the rest of their morning together teasing her mercilessly. It was so relieving to spend time with her, where he could fully be himself and not worry about being judged or hated for it.

The feeling, unfortunately, couldn't last, because he had to take his sister home. And once he was alone again, all those suffocating thoughts and feelings came back to eat at him. The remainder of his Saturday evening was spent in a deep, perturbed silence, as he cleaned his house to give himself something to do. He couldn't stop the panic, couldn't banish it away. There was no way to be able to take it back, or go back in time and stop himself.

Eren was terrified to think too in depth on what it could possibly mean. He told himself it was simply drunken misconduct, gay chicken being taken too far out of sheer belligerence, and that's all it could be. If he let his mind wander too deep into the rabbit hole, he might find out some things about himself that he didn't want to acknowledge, and really,  _couldn't_  acknowledge. Because even if they were true, and they were there, it wouldn't change anything. His life was set in stone, carved there by his parents long ago, and he was to dutifully follow it like a good son should. He wouldn't, couldn't, stray off of their path. It may have sucked, it may have been hard, and exhausting, and fraught with absolute agonizing anxiety to be perfect, but it was his path. He had to take it. No one could tell him otherwise, or take his path away from him. It was his alone; the burden was on his shoulders, and so long as Isabel remained blissfully ignorant to his plight or why he took on the cross that he bore, so to speak, then she could live her own life. She would have the freedom to choose, without fear to hold her back.

It was worth it, for him, to do this. His parents stayed happy, they would love him, and his sister would be free. The shackles could remain on his ankles, for all he cared. He could endure, as he had for so long. And he would, for his sister, for himself, for the memory of the past that haunted him. He'd give his parents the child that they always wanted, the child that they would do anything to have.

Swallowing his bitterness, he let those thoughts drift off. There was no use to dwell in the past, it would only serve to crush him and intensify his need to be perfect. Shaking himself mentally, he went back to the problem at hand. No, it couldn't be a problem. All it was, was a simple mistake. Friends kiss each other all the time. People make mistakes when they're drunk. So, it'll be fine.

"Thank fuck I'm not Catholic," he muttered out loud, rubbing at his temples with a sigh. Having to go to confession and bare his soul after the night he had would just be icing on top of the cake made of feces. He was thankful for small mercies.

He went to church dutifully the next day, praying for guidance and clarity, and the week dragged on. He focused on his work, but during any free moments, his mind would wander, and anxiety settled in his bones. It made a home of him as each day passed, digging its roots in deeper. The longer he went without Levi reaching out to him with a simple text made his heart drop lower and lower into his stomach, until he was digesting it. The singer must have hated him, or he'd decided he didn't want to be friends, or fuck, he felt too awkward to talk to the lawyer ever again. Too many warring emotions lived inside of him, and he felt more exhausted than he should have. So, he buried himself in his work, praying that it would drown out the anxiety, and he would have peace.

Eren keeps debating between waiting, or messaging Levi himself, but in the end he can never bring himself to hit the send button, even if he types out an entire message. He doesn't want to be a bother, especially if Levi wants nothing to do with him, and this is his way of telling him. The lawyer is positively torturing himself, pulling out his phone every five minutes, tapping away at the keys, reading over the cringey, worthless message, hovering his thumb over send for 30 seconds, and then grumbling as he deletes the message and puts the cell away, only to repeat the process again. Wash, rinse, and repeat. He just can't help himself, because he finds that he really,  _really_  wants to talk to the older man. He likes the idea of being friends with him, and doesn't want to lose that.

Luckily for him, Levi caves first, and five days into the tour, his phone is chirping the tone of an incoming message. He opens it with shaking fingers, and reads the simple  _'Hey.'_  It's not much, but it sends relief coursing through his veins, and brings a trembling little smile to his lips. He adopts his false bravado to send a cheeky message, and that's the end of that. Clearly, Levi wants to be his friend, too, or else he wouldn't have reached out. So with that, Eren now feels like he can bother his counterpart all he wants, and it'll be okay.

Now that he isn't worried about Levi not liking him, another apprehension worms its way into his brain: is the singer going to bring up 'the Kiss', and what the hell is Eren going to say in response. Every conversation they start brings with it anxiety, with the brunet anticipating that at any moment, Levi is going to ask what he meant by it, or just talk about it in general, and every end leaves him feeling an ocean of relief, tainted with the smallest amount of disappointment. But he's not, and he can't be, disappointed, because he doesn't want them to talk about it. After a while, he refuses to let his paranoia and panic ruin any of his correspondence with Levi, because he's enjoying talking to the older man far too much.

A couple weeks with the band on tour, and Eren is sitting at his desk when he receives a picture message from  _Shortstack Asshole._  He opens it, and immediately doubles over in shocked laughter, his hand coming up to try and muffle the noise. In the image, Levi is brandishing a wooden spoon as a weapon, angrily swinging at the drummer of the band, who has his giant nose just touching whatever the shorter man had just cooked, in the middle of a deep inhale. The caption on the picture reads,  _'Hange captured the moment I decided to end Miche for sticking his nose in my food. Looks like I won't be eating this.'_

Pealing laughter is still spilling from Eren's lips, and his ribs are starting to ache. He stares fondly at the raven-haired man in the image, taking in the severe look of cold rage contorting his normally blank expression into one that should be feared, and the way his grey irises have hardened to chips of ice. The fact that he's using a fucking spoon to beat the shit out of the other man is far too comical. In response to Levi, Eren opens up his camera and captures a picture of himself, teary-eyed and flushed from laughter, with a grin that's all teeth stretching his lips. He types out a snarky little response, his heart fluttering as he imagines just how Levi will react.

_'It looks like a movie poster. I can see it now: "Godzilla verses the Kitchen Midget". It'll be a blockbuster, we'll be rich.'_

_'Tch. You little shit,'_  comes in fast, before his screen can even go dark, and he snorts, his smile growing in amusement. Another message makes his phone trill, and he looks down to read it.  _'I'm not a fucking midget, you overgrown child.'_

Eren rolls his eyes, trying to keep control of himself by taking deep breaths. His ribs still ache from laughing so hard, and his fingers dance over the buttons as he replies.  _'Whatever helps you sleep at night.'_

Much of their conversations go on like this, with Levi bitching about his bandmates and company for being absolute shitstains, sending him random pictures of whatever tickles his fancy. Often, it leaves the lawyer in tears of absolute mirth, laughing harder than he has in years, and he can't help but do everything in his power to return the favor. He doesn't know if it's working or not until a couple of days later, when he gets a picture message from an unknown number in the middle of having a text-conversation with Levi. Curiously, he opens it, and his breath catches in his throat at the image.

It was a candid shot of Levi, curled up on a loveseat, presumably on the tour bus. He's wrapped up in a blanket with his head sticking out, and his hands cradling his phone. His eyes are staring warmly down at the screen, and his features are softened in the dim glow of his cell. His lips are parted slightly in a quiet chuckle, and the corner of his lips are drawn up in a sweet half-smile. His heart stutters, and his entire body grows warm as he takes in every detail of the picture, before he saves it and reads the message that came along with the image.

_'It's Hange. You made tiny Satan laugh. I'm impressed and slightly scared.'_

Chuckling, Eren saves her number under  _Goggles_ , and changes Levi's to  _Tiny Satan_ , because that's absolutely brilliant. After that, the lawyer spends his days texting them both, getting an absolute influx of picture messages solely of Levi from the bassist, every one of which he saves. Levi sends him all kinds of images, as well; pictures of the looks on everyone's faces when Miche blows up the bathroom, Farlan throwing up out of the window because of said devastation; Erwin wearing a scolding expression as he goes on and on lecturing them to stop fighting like children; Hange's face close up, blurry and slightly frightening as she launches herself at Levi the moment he's trying to capture a picture. Each of them tells a story and makes him feel a buzzing inside of his chest, warming him from the inside. Eren responds with pictures of his own, of himself; his friends that he works with in order to see what Levi would label them. That's been his favorite game thus far. Upon sending a picture of Jean to the older man, he received  _'Why the fuck do you work with a horse?'_  in response, and he laughed so loudly that it sent a worried Historia throwing his office door open. That had been a hard thing to explain away.

The singer also sent him beautiful shots of the scenery the bus went past, and the lawyer found himself longing to travel around like that. He'd only moved once, when he was younger, and he typically stayed in the same area after that. Trost was a huge city in California, and he'd never been out of state, let alone barely out of Trost. When he received breathtaking pictures like that, he'd try his best to reciprocate. Eren took pictures of trees during the first few frosts of the year, capturing the varying colors of the leaves with frozen dew-drops resting on them. He took pictures of animals, spamming Levi with cute faces of dogs and cats, and gushing about how much he wished he could have pets, and had always wanted them.

Eren hadn't expected Levi to be the first one to call, either, but the older man kept on surprising him. He had just finished brushing his teeth and was settling into bed with his phone when it began chirping. At first, he thought it was simply another text, but when the chirping continued, he stared at it in confusion. Understanding lit his face as he read  _Incoming call: Tiny Satan_ , scrolling across the screen, and he quickly swipes to accept.

"Hey, what's up?" He asks, trying to keep the breathless surprise out of his tone, and he slips into his bed.

 _"What's up is that I can't fucking sleep,"_  Levi grumbles huffily, and shifts around in what Eren assumes is him getting comfortable.

After he stops moving, the most awful, jarring sound hits his ear through the receiver, and he winces back, confusion filling his voice. "...Would that have anything to do with whatever the fuck that noise is?" The brunet has absolutely no fucking clue what it could be. What, does the bus make that noise when in motion? If so, he feels bad for Levi being trapped on that metal deaf-trap.

 _"_ That _would be Miche. He snores like a chainsaw fucking a bear up the ass,"_  the singer states dryly, and for a moment Eren is stunned.

Then he's snorting and choking on laughter that he's trying to stifle, absolutely stunned at that series of words being strung together in the same sentence. "I—what. Levi, what the fuck does that even sound like? Holy shit." He's shaking from the intensity of his amusement, and he's lost in trying to imagine what it sounds like. He knows what noise a chainsaw makes, and he's heard a bear growl and roar before, but that combination just. He can't make sense of it. And fuck, he hopes that Levi hasn't ever had the horror of experiencing whatever that noise actually is.

 _"Tch. Exactly the noise that you're hearing, brat,"_  the musician says, as though it's painfully obvious and Eren is missing the point.

"I can't—the mental image I'm getting is fucking repulsive. How the hell did you even think of that? What goes on in that brain of yours, old man?" He's wheezing, his laughter actually killing him, and his ribs feel like they're going to break and stab into his lungs at any moment. That'd probably be less pain than the hypothetical bear is in, at least. He banishes the mental image he'd conjured up, shuddering in disgust. Sometimes he really couldn't believe the shit that left Levi's mouth.

 _"It just pops into my head, Eren. What can I say, I'm a comedic genius,"_  his counterpart drawls, and the brunet simply can't allow himself to swell that ego even further—regardless of how true it is.

After finally getting his laughter under control, he breathes a teasing response. "Fucked up is what you are, Levi. I shudder to think what else goes on in there." He lets his tone get coy, giving a flirtatious edge to his words. He can't help but to want to make the singer squirm; it's extremely satisfying to make a sex god weak.

 _"I think you'd be surprised to find that you might like the things I think up,"_  Levi purrs, and holy shit, his voice has dropped low and deep, and taken on that seductive smoothness that Eren doesn't quite know how to handle. Still, he wants to play along, draw this out.

He chuckles and lets his own voice drop a few octaves, rolling onto his side and speaking into the phone as if he's whispering a secret. "Oh, is that so? Care to enlighten me a little?" He might get himself in trouble with that invitation, but he really can't quite bring himself to care all that much.

There's the sound of shuffling, and Levi hums lowly, drawing out his response to make Eren tense in anticipation.  _"I said you'd like it, not that you could handle it, little boy,"_  he drawls, taunting and teasing, and really, the brunet should  _not_ like the sounds of those words. He can feel a tightening in his abdomen that he forcefully ignores.

His breath is catching in his throat, and he has to swallow down whatever sound just threatened to leave his lungs. Pouting out his bottom lip, Eren crosses his arms, huffily stating, "You dirty old man. You're a pervert." He halts, mulling over the other implication of his words, and grumbles, entirely affronted at the insult. "I could too fucking handle it."

 _"Somehow I'm doubting that, Bright Eyes,"_  Levi murmurs, and his tone is a lot softer, and holy shit Eren is really not used to being called anything like that and he doesn't know how to react.

Some mixture of a sound rises in his throat, and he releases an odd whine, his face heating up. He brings his free hand up to cover his eyes and a cheek in embarrassment. "Just go to sleep, Levi. You have another concert tomorrow, right?" Even if he's trying to come off as annoyed, he somehow can't manage, and his words are softened with concern and care.

 _"You get some sleep too, kid. I'm sure you have some lawyer-shit to do bright and early."_  He pauses to yawn, and Eren takes that moment to snuggle into his bedding, tugging the blanket up to his chin.  _"Good night, brat."_

"Night, old man," Eren sings cheekily, hanging up before he can be scolded.

He still feels warm and mortified, and he isn't sure which feeling is winning when he's drifting into sleep not too much later.

The pattern continues on, and it seems like they've got a silent competition about who can text or call first, so every few days that pass either of them will call. They'll end up talking about stupid and meaningless things for hours, laughing quietly together. Hange is still regularly sending him Levi-pictures, and he really enjoys talking with the woman. She'd seemed rather crazy and off-putting at first, but she was an absolute sweetheart of a woman, and her sense of humor was just as awful as Levi's.

Eren is thrown for a loop the night he gets 2 pictures from Levi of himself, and the lawyer is making a weird guttural noise the longer he looks at it. The singer has clearly just finished a concert, and he's sinfully glistening with sweat, his hair messily pushed back to expose his forehead. He's not wearing anything to hide his eyes, and Eren really thinks the bandages and secret identities are the best idea. He doubts any fans could handle the amount of pure  _sex_  that Levi is. Seeing his pale, muscled chest peeking through the mesh shirt beneath a vest is sending Eren on a spiral of thoughts he's been trying to banish for the entire month, and he's trying to swallow his panic. The second picture is by far the worst (and more delectable) because his groin and half of his thighs were exposed. The hand covering where Levi's dick sits is a devastating tease, and Eren is torn between wanting to see more and a coiling anxiety. He carries on a normal conversation with his counterpart to the best of his ability, even FaceTiming him after getting a hold of himself once more. His second shock that night had been learning that Levi Ackerman, sex god and absolute androgynous wet dream of No Name, had naturally wavy hair. He couldn't understand why the singer didn't seem to like it, going so far as to getting it chemically straightened. He'd almost blurted out how beautiful it was, how much it really suited the short older man, but he held that back. He'd still complimented it, he just didn't want to get too far.

He'd also chickened out of asking Levi to hang out with him when he got home to instead ask about his hair. He buried his face into his pillow and sighed. He really enjoyed friendship with Levi; he actually, genuinely liked the short-tempered singer, and didn't want to shy away from their friendship when he returned. He didn't want things to be different or awkward, and so his only choice was to act like 'the Kiss' had never happened. He wouldn't bring it up, and it seemed like Levi wasn't going to either, so he could live with this. He could pretend like he'd never slipped up, and they could continue on the way they were. Eren had no intentions of backing out of their game of gay chicken; it really was extremely fun to make such an attractive bisexual man squirm, even if nothing were going to come out of it for either of them.

Eren had a confidence that he'd been lacking the past month; he was coming home to himself, and he wasn't going to let something as small as a kiss shake him any further. There was no way he'd let anything end his friendship with Levi. No way would he ever admit this out loud, but he actually really missed his counterpart, and couldn't wait for him to get home.

With that in mind, he spent the next three weeks trying to wrap up his case. If the lawyer could get Trost Police Department to drop the charges before Levi got back, he would ask him if he wanted to hang out. Simple. Easy, even. So with his goal set, he began his full frontal assault. He called the department and asked to speak to the chief-of-police, dropping his own name to make them hurry it along. He threatened them with a lawsuit, claiming his client had been discriminated against and treated wrongly just because of a bigoted bias on an officer's part. He explained the fact that his client hadn't even had his Miranda right's read to him, and that none of the charges should have been given to Levi in the first placed, based solely on the entire circumstance of his situation. Eren calmly stated to the chief-of-police that if they couldn't reach a consensus about dropping all charges against Levi Ackerman, the lawyer and his client would have no choice but to pursue a lawsuit against the police department, consequently bringing them under fire for the mistreatment of a person in the LGBTQ+ community. He made sure to remind the man that they were in the state of California, and that behavior such as that Officer displayed toward's his client was severely frowned upon, and he was certain that an entire community of people would do anything in their power to get them all fired and replaced with far more capable people.

"I hope we can come to an agreement, Officer Randall," Eren stated smoothly, his voice completely professional. "My client wants nothing more than for this to be dealt with in a timely and discreet manner."

An uncomfortable silence extended on the other end of the call, before a weary sigh left the Chief-of-Police's mouth. His gravelly tone was made more tinny over the transmission of the call.  _"I certainly believe that we can come to an agreement. I will see to it that the Officer who discriminated against your client will be terminated, and all charges will be dropped."_

"I appreciate your cooperation, sir," the brunet said sweetly, then ended the call and whooped loudly. He threw his arms up in the air excitedly, before quickly gripping onto his cellphone. He shot out a message to Levi, wanting to inform him of their good fortune immediately. After spending three weeks gathering information, memorising every single nuance of the law, and compiling a stack of evidence against Officer Asshat, he'd finally been able to do what he'd set out to.

He'd been hoping for a response to his message from the singer, but he hadn't expected him to call him instead. His phone ringing startled him, and he stared at it dumbly for a few moments, before scrambling to pick it up.

He was a little breathless as he brought it up to his ear after answering the call with the swipe of his thumb. "Levi?"

 _"Hey, brat. I just..."_  A deep breath and then silence. The brunet could hear chattering in the background, and assumed it was Levi's entourage conversing with one another. Levi cleared his throat, and the sound of shuffling came through, stopping only once the chatter had faded out almost completely.  _"I wanted to say thanks, Eren."_

"It's no problem," Eren responded immediately, a flush of warmth filling his chest and dusting his cheeks. He felt extremely happy to be thanked, and he could tell by the tone of Levi's voice that he really meant it. A smile curled at his lips as he spoke. "I'm glad I was able to help. And..." The lawyer trailed off nervously, hesitating. It was now or never. He had worked so hard to get the charges dropped and the case fully taken care of before the band came back from touring so that he could ask if Levi would want to spend time with him. He couldn't let himself chicken out now. So, steeling his nerves and shifting around awkwardly in his seat, he started speaking unsurely. "When you're back, well. I was just hop—I thought, maybe... D'you wanna hang out? With me?" Fuck, that was a lot harder than he thought it would be, and by the time he got all of his words out, his face was redder than a tomato and he was burying his face in his arm on his desk, trying to hide from the world. Apprehension and anticipation warred within him, and he waited with bated breath for Levi's answer. Eren was being so stupid, what kind of famous musician would really want to hang out with him?

A melodious chuckle was the first thing to hit his ears, and he lifted his head up just slightly so that he could peek over his arm at his door hopefully.  _"That sounds like fun. I'm game, brat."_  The singer hummed thoughtfully after a moment's silence.  _"Figure out what you want to do, and then let me know. I get back on Saturday."_

Relief flooded through the lawyer, and he released a weird nervous-relieved laugh, shaking his head at himself. He sighed softly; all that worry for nothing. Once again he gained that confidence back into his tone, speaking smoothly with no trace of an anxious stutter. "I can do that. I gotta get back to work, so. Bye, old man." Eren smirked. He really couldn't help himself.

 _"Tch, cheeky brat. Bye."_  The raven-haired male hung up, and the brunet leaned back heavily in his seat.

He couldn't wait until Levi and his band was back in Trost. Would they hang out the day he came back? Or would he want to recoup for a few days before spending any time with Eren? He really wanted to make sure it would be an enjoyable and relaxing experience for the older man, and from all the pictures he'd gotten, it looked like the tour had been pretty hard on him. Levi had lost a noticeable amount of weight, and the dark circles underneath his eyes that used to look like soft smudges, now made his pale face appear gaunt, and they looked like deep tissue bruises. They aged his face slightly, and it really worried Eren that touring could be that intense on a person. Hange had been expressing her own worry, informing him that Levi barely ate or slept on tours, and it made the brunet chew his lip, concern filling him.

Perhaps the best way to welcome Levi back was to have a movie night at the lawyer's house. He could cook for Levi, and they could watch whatever movies they felt like indulging in, and then the older man could stay the night. Or if he didn't want a home-cooked meal, they could order take out.

Nodding to himself, Eren confidently wrote down his plans, his eyes flickering over to his calendar. He couldn't wait for Saturday to roll around. There were only four days left. He decided to clear his schedule for the coming weekend, then texted Levi his plans for them. When the singer had voiced his approval, Eren glowed with warmth, a stupid little smile curling his lips and refusing to leave.

He left the office that night with a skip in his step, and a cheerful tune whistled from his lips.

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> And that's the tour coming to an official end! What did you think of Eren's POV? Tell me your thoughts! Did you enjoy it? Are these boys not just the absolute cutest? I'm really absolutely glad to have gotten these both done. They're around about the same length (entirely on accident), but I had to split them into two chapters to help the flow, and also this chapter would have been insanely long in the middle of relatively short/medium lengthed ones.  
> Feed me your thoughts, dear readers! Rambling or not, I respond to them all! All the love! I can't wait to bring you the next installment. Take a guess what it'll be about.  
> ALSO I HAVE TO ASK: did any of you notice/enjoy my pun? (Hint: metal death-trap but not). My tired brain thought I was quite clever and wanted to point it out within the story but I resisted.


	11. Even Though You're Fucked in the Head, I Want to Raw You

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> First and foremost: Happy Belated Thanksgiving to all those who celebrate it! Secondly: I am so sorry that this chapter is a bit late! I generally try to update regularly, but I was a lot busier than I intended to be this past week. I stayed the night with my best friend that I haven't been able to see in a while on Tuesday, and Wednesday I got my first non-ear piercing and had to assist in fighting through the masses to food shop for the holidays with my family. Then, Thursday I was expected to spend time with family for Thanksgiving, which went okay. We had a ton of food! I did manage to do a little bit of writing on Wednesday and Thursday, but it wasn't enough. SO, I hunkered down and cracked the whip, so to speak, so that I could finish this chapter tonight. Thus, here it is! I am so happy to finally get this chapter done and update this story. I worked hard on it, and I really hope all of you will enjoy reading it. Apologies for any errors, grammatical or otherwise, I merely gave it a cursory sweep.

_**A Year and 3 Months Ago** _

_**November** _

 

The tour bus rolled slowly into a parking lot, and before it had even come to a complete stop, Levi was up and off of it, breathing a deep sigh of relief. He stretched his arms over his head and sucked in a slow breath, letting his eyes close momentarily. They'd made it back to Trost just shy of noon, and all of them were happy to be home after two intensive months of living off a bus. The singer waited impatiently for Hange to round up her shit and get the fuck out of the vehicle, his foot tapping his annoyance on the asphalt. He already had his bag at his side, desperate for a much needed shower and the comfort of his own room. Placing a cigarette between his lips, Levi lit it up and too a deep inhale, letting the smoke billow out of his mouth as he pulled out his cell phone and prodded it to life.

 _'We're back. Gonna head to the apartment to shower and shit,'_  he typed rapidly, before sending the message to Eren.

A response from the bright eyed lawyer came mere seconds later, and Levi quickly read through it.  _'Great! Wear something comfy and get an overnight bag together. Do you want me to swing by to pick you up? I'm sure driving is the last thing you want to do after just getting back.'_

The musician had the ghost of a smile resting on his lips as he stared down at those words, his heart fluttering and filling with warmth. The concern the brat held for him was blatant, and it made him feel incredibly soft. With a chuckle, he tapped out his own message, and then tucked his phone away into his back pocket, after noticing that Hange was dragging her bags over to him with an over-the-top enthusiasm.

"C'mon, shortstack! We don't have all day! Car's this way," the woman spat her words out in a rush, not bothering to slow her stride or stop walking, and she made a beeline for her rustbucket of a car.

Sighing, Levi pinched the butt of his cigarette between his teeth and gripped onto the handle's of his travel bags, lifting them up easily. He dragged off of his cigarette and blew the smoke out through his nose as he followed his roommate, lacking the desire to argue when the shower was calling his name. He allowed her to pop the trunk and then carefully set his things side by side, whereas she threw her belongings haphazardly and slammed it shut. They both rounded their respective sides and climbed into the car, calling out their goodbyes, and Hange brought the car to life before peeling out of the parking lot. Levi breathed a sigh of relief, leaning back and getting comfortable. Soon, he'd be freshly showered and relaxing next to the hot lawyer, wasting the night away watching movies. He absolutely couldn't wait.

* * *

_'As much as I'd love a ride from you, brat, I don't want shitty glasses thinking she can tag along. And before you extend a gracious invitation because we both know how nice you are, I need a break from her crazy ass. Being trapped on a bus with her for 2 months and not murdering her is a feat that I should be praised for.'_

After reading the message from the singer, Eren found his cheeks flushing at the innuendo and a chuckle leaving his lips at his casual mention of murder. With a heart fluttering wildly in his chest and his blush intensifying, he responded coyly, knowing exactly how the other man would take his words.  _'There's only so many ways I can get you off, old man. Let's not add any more charges to your record, hm?'_  He then sent another message containing his address, dropping his phone down onto the coffee table to rub at his cheeks in a futile effort to lessen the redness. The lawyer had decided to act like nothing had happened, and that meant his behavior couldn't change. He'd be lying if he said he didn't enjoy the gay chicken. Flirting, sexual innuendos, and bold behavior were still on the table, and by god he wasn't going to get all soft and give up.

Eren set his fists on his hips and refocused on his task, staring critically at his living room. He'd been up rather early, cleaning every nook and cranny of his house, being sure that every single room was spotless. From what he'd learned about Levi, he knew the man had a preference for cleanliness, and he would most likely appreciate the effort. He refused to look to deeply into why he was putting forth so much effort for another man, brushing it off with the excuse that they were friends, and he wanted Levi to have the most comfortable homecoming. He'd do this for anyone, he told himself on repeat. Satisfied with the clean state of the living room, he nodded once, and headed off to the linen closet. Eren snagged every single spare blanket and pillow, piling them up in his arms, and carrying them out to the living room. He retrieved the pillows from his bed as well, adding them to the pile.

After rounding up all of the comforters and throws, he began organizing them into a cozy little nest of sorts. Layering a few blankets onto the plush carpet, he spread out the pillows with an artful array, wanting to capture an inviting air. With all pillows placed with maximum comfort in mind, he laid out the last of the blankets to be crawled under and snuggled into. He sat back and studied the little fort, smiling softly to himself while satisfaction puffed his chest. He hoped that Levi would like it. Eren shoved the coffee table further away from the nest, giving them ample room to sprawl out, and then he climbed back to his feet.

Every movie he owned was on display on sleek bookshelves, the remote controls sitting side by side on the table. Netflix, Hulu, DVDs; the lawyer had it all, and even if Levi was the pickiest person alive, he was bound to have something that pleased the shorter man. He collected every takeout menu and spread them across the coffee table to be chosen from. Running into his kitchen, he made sure to check his pantry and fridge for the umpteenth time, going over every ingredient he had and composing a list in his head of food he could make. It all came down to what the musician wanted; the brunet would cook for him if he so chose, or he'd order from any restaurant. This was going to be the most relaxing, fun, pleasing experience for Levi, Eren would make damn sure of that. He was determined to bring that faint little smile to the man's lips.

A knock sounds at the door, startling the lawyer, before sending his heart into hyperdrive. He practically sprints back down the hall, slipping and sliding on the wooden floor in the entryway on his socks. He takes a small moment to compose himself, drawing in a deep breath, and then grips the handle of the door, turning it and tugging it open. He smiles as he looks down at the singer, his eyes drinking in the sight before him.

Levi took his advice, and is dressed in the height of comfort; he's wearing low-riding charcoal joggers, with sneakers encasing his small feet, and an oversized sweater hanging off of his shoulders, exposing what looks like a grey tank-top beneath it. The sweater looks indescribably soft, most likely cashmere, and is an inky black that matches his hair. It droops over his fingers, and is probably about 3 sizes too big. Either Levi has a boyfriend that's three times his size, he doesn't know how to shop for himself, or he has an adorable preference for clothes that he could drown in. For some reason, the first possibility fills Eren's stomach with rocks, but he dismisses it, bringing his attention back to the dour-looking man in front of him. His overnight bag is perched over his shoulder.

"Good to see you," he grins, cocking his head to the side. "Come in."

A smirk curls the corner of Levi's lips up, and he steps passed Eren into the entryway, toeing his shoes off. "It's fuckin' great to be back." With a groan, the raven-haired man let his bag slide from his shoulder and onto the floor, turning to eye the brunet. With a mischievous look in his slate eyes, he nearly purrs his next words. "I got your text, by the way. Care to share all the ways you could get me off?"

Eren goes red from neck to the roots of his hair, his ears burning, and he nearly chokes, but composes his voice. "Threatening a lawsuit, claiming insanity. Excuses get old fast, Levi. The judge just wouldn't appreciate all the obvious lies."

A deep, husky chuckle rumbles in Levi's chest, and he pats the lawyer's cheek as he turns away to head deeper into the house. "I trust you'd be able to keep shackles off of me, brat."

"Or maybe I'd be the one to lock them into place," the brunet stated boldly, following his counterpart into the living room.

"I'd like to see you try," the musician drawls, then stops short when he lays eyes on the nest sitting in the middle of the floor. "Damn, that looks comfy as fuck."

A warmth fills Eren, and his chest buzzes with delight. He watches as Levi immediately starts moving over to the blankets and practically throws himself into them, curling up and wrapping one around him. He settles back against the couch in between two pillows, and casts a glance towards Eren. The brunet has a dopey smile on his lips, and he snorts out a laugh, shaking his head.

"You look like a little burrito." Still chuckling, he slips down next to Levi and draws up the blankets, reaching forward to grab the remotes and menus. "I can make you food, or we can order takeout. What kind of movies do you like?"

Levi slips his hands free and starts picking through the menus, his cheeks tinging with a delicate pink. He's hesitant to announce his preferences, finding them to be rather embarrassing. "I like horror movies," he hedges, settling on a Chinese menu. He looks over the options, humming to himself.

"And what else?" Eren asks, noticing the hesitant air surrounding his counterpart. When he doesn't receive an answer, he presses further. "If you're embarrassed, you shouldn't be. I have an unhealthy love for Disney and Pixar films."

With a long-suffering sigh, the singer passes the menu back to Eren, having decided on what he wants. It's always so much easier to talk about his interests with Hange; the woman doesn't have a judgmental bone in her body. Sure, she jokes around and picks on him, but it's all in good fun, because that's the kind of friendship they have. There's nothing malicious in her words. And while normally, the opinions of others don't bother him in the least, and he really doesn't give a shit, something about Eren makes him... want to impress him. He  _cares_  what the bright-eyed brat thinks, and doesn't want him to think that he's lame or weird. It's such an odd feeling for him, brand new and strange. He cares, he's nervous and embarrassed, and yet he  _still_  wants to tell him. It's like he wants to be open and honest with the kid. Great.

"Musicals," he murmurs tentatively, picking at the blanket absentmindedly. He can feel his shoulders tensing up, bracing himself for the sound of Eren laughing at him. He's stunned when that's not the reaction he gets.

The brunet hums momentarily, then turns a bright grin onto him, his head tilted to the side. "That makes sense. You're a singer."

Levi flushes again, though this time it's in pleasure, and his heart feels impossibly light, as though it'll fly out of his chest. "Thanks."

"I bet you sing along to every one," Eren teases, prodding his counterpart in the side.

The singer snorts, a soft smile painted over his lips. "You bet your ass I do. Think of it as a personal concert, just for you."

"Oh, I'm terribly honored," he says dramatically, placing a hand over his heart. When he gets an elbow jabbed into his ribcage, he wheezes, and holds up the menu. "Did you decide what you wanted? I'm ordering now, because you need to eat. You're on the verge of looking like Skeletor." Real concern sits behind the joke, and he stares at Levi with his heterochromatic eyes, letting the worry show.

"Chicken lo mein."

With relief, Eren places calls the restaurant and places their order, giving his address and discussing payment. Levi is too busy feeling warm and absolutely soft over how much the lawyer genuinely cares about him to pay attention. He can hardly believe it, especially when he thinks back to when they'd first met. It hadn't even been all that long ago, just two months and two weeks. August seemed like forever ago, and even though he'd been gone for the majority of time that they knew each other, he felt extremely close to the brunet. They'd spent many late nights texting or whispering on the phone while everyone around them slept. Levi could view Eren as a very close friend at this point. A friend that he wanted to fuck the brains out of multiple times and various ways, but he digresses.

Snuggling deeper into the nest, Levi curls his legs up criss-cross, drawing into himself and leaning heavily against the couch. He's staring at Eren covertly from the corner of his eye, admiring his chiseled features and sharp jawline. Even his profile is absolutely stunning, his long dark lashes dusting over his cheekbones when he blinks. His gaze trails lower, mesmerised by the subtle bobbing of his prominent adam's apple when he talks. The brunet turns to look at him when he ends the call, giving him a thousand-watt grin. It's blinding, but he can't look away, and he feels a tug in his chest, like a string being pulled taut, drawing him closer. He's leaning toward Eren subtly, subconsciously desiring to be closer, and he shifts his head to meet their eyes. A jolt runs through him when he realises that mismatched molten gold and swirling aquamarine irises are locked on his.

"You're not wearing a contact," he blurts out bluntly, lips pressing together in shock at the words leaving him without permission.

Eren flushes a deep pink as his lids widen, and he rubs the back of his neck sheepishly averting his gaze. "Er, yeah. I can go put one in—" he cuts himself off abruptly and turns his head away sharply, letting the blankets drop as he shifts to get up. The younger man can feel his heart plummeting into his stomach, digesting painfully as he drops his smile, grimacing with disappointment. It was probably too much to hope for that Levi would continue to like his eye. It was a monstrosity after all, nobody liked it. Sure, his parents claimed it was a gift from God, but even they looked on it with repulsion. They were relieved to see it covered away, albeit secretly, seeing as they didn't want to offend God. Annie hated it, it was a deformity and should be covered at all times so he didn't offend anyone.

"No!" cut through his thoughts like a sharp knife, and a bony hand locked tightly around his wrist, firmly keeping him in place and preventing any further escape. Still, Eren didn't turn to look at Levi, even with flowers of hope blooming within him. "I'm glad you're not. Wearing one, I mean. I like your eyes."

Warmth coursed through the brunet's veins, his cheeks going impossibly red, and he bit his bottom lip on a wobbly, pleased smile that threatened to break out. Oh, of course that was it. Levi always seemed entranced the few times he'd caught sight of the heterochromatic irises. It was a pleasant surprise for him to see them, considering that Eren always went out of his way to hide it.

"Oh, yeah. Okay," slowly, he turned back to face his counterpart, watching him from beneath his lashes with a bashful little grin. "Thanks."

Levi was still hanging on to his wrist, a fact that made his pulse jump sporadically, and he could feel how calloused his fingertips were. They contrasted noticeably with his surprisingly soft hands.

"Don't mention it, Bright Eyes," the singer murmured gently, his fingers giving a reassuring squeeze to the captive appendage.

Eren was staring openly at the shorter man, observing the startling change in expression when he spoke. Levi looked so... unguarded. So free, and softened, somehow. There was a warmth to his normally stark, sharp features, and in his stormy slate eyes warred an array of emotion that he couldn't even begin to identify. It made his breath catch in his throat and his heart race, and he felt himself tilting his body towards the other man inexplicably drawn in. Fuck, he was so inhumanly beautiful, delicate and sharp all at once, the perfect balance of androgyny, and those pouty lips were parted and curling up in such a fragile ghost of a smile. And all he wanted was to...

The lawyer wet his lips subconsciously, his tongue slowly trailing along his bottom lip, instantly drawing Levi's gaze to it, suddenly laser-focused. He wanted. His center of gravity was shifting as he was moving forward, and he felt the nearly imperceptible tightening of the hand on his wrist. Eren  _wanted._

Reality was a frigid douse of ice-cold water in the form of a jarringly loud knock on the door, pulling them both out of... whatever that was. Eren blinked, realising just how close they had gotten. They were only a few inches away from one another, and he could feel Levi's breath ghosting over his cheek. Another impatient knock, and he was cursing as he clambered to his feet, the singer's grasp on him falling away. He stumbled and ran to the door, calling out that he was on his way, and he snagged his wallet off of the table by the door. He yanked it open, flushed from root to chin and breathing a little hard, greeting a startled delivery woman. She handed over the order of food, and Eren paid her, making sure to tip well and say his thanks.

He shut the door with his foot and made his way back into the living room, unable to look at the other man just yet.

Levi was sitting stock still, skin alight with electricity at the realisation of the moment they had just had. He was nearly certain that had the take out not arrived when it had, he would currently be in a passionate liplock with his younger counterpart. Shaking himself visibly, he violently shoved those thoughts away and reached his hands out to help unload the food. Once they laid it all out, Eren settled back in next to him, noticeably closer than he did originally, and they grabbed their quarts.

The silence was heavy, so the singer took it upon himself to break it. He just needed a safe and easy topic. After taking a bite of his lo mein and chewing thoughtfully, he cocked his head to the side. "What's your favorite movie?"

" _'A Clockwork Orange'_ ," the brunet answered without hesitation. He was expertly using chopsticks to lift out a piece of sesame chicken, bringing it up to his lips. He paused when he noticed the blank stare that he was receiving from Levi. Eren raised a questioning brow. "What?"

"The fuck is that?" Levi drawled, twirling his fork in his noodles. "That's a shit title. How is anyone supposed to make sense of it?"

Eren dropped his chopsticks into the carton, his eyes widening and bugging out cartoonishly. "Are you  _shitting me_  right now? You've never seen  _'A Clockwork Orange'_? It's a fucking classic! Arguably one of the best films ever made." He set his quart noisily down onto the coffee table, bodily turning to stare in disbelief at the short man.

The singer gave Eren a withering look as he stuffed another forkful of lo mein into his mouth, chewing carefully before swallowing and pointing the utensil at his counterpart. "No, I've never seen it. I've never even heard of it."

"But you're  _old!_ " Eren tossed his hands up into the air and made a distressed sound in the back of his throat, jumping up to his feet and moving over to his bookshelf.

"Tch, you're just a fuckin' brat, is all," he mutters under his breath with a scowl, stabbing viciously at a piece of chicken. Speaking up to be heard, he bites out, "The fuck are you doing?"

The brunet searches the shelves, his fingers skimming over titles as he tries to find the movie. "Unfortunately, it's no longer on Netflix, and it isn't on Hulu. I've gotta bust out the DVD, because we are  _watching it._  You have no excuse to have never seen Stanley Kubrick's masterpiece.  _None._  This is fucking unacceptable." Eren continues muttering to himself heatedly and with utter disbelief, crouching down to look at the bottom shelving. After several minutes of scanning, he finally releases a successful shout, and slides the case free, opening it noisily. He removes the disc carefully, tossing its container at Levi.

Ignoring the very put-off  _'what the actual fuck'_ that Levi breathes out upon studying the cover, Eren sets the disc into the DVD tray and closes it. He marches back over to his spot, plopping down before resuming shoveling his food in.

"Prepare yourself," he demands, pulling blankets back over his legs and settling close enough to the other man that their shoulders brush against one another.

* * *

"Eren, what the  _fuck._ " Levi sucks his teeth, raking a hand back through his inky waves, and shuts his eyes tightly, trying to process the film he was just forced to witness. " _That's_  your favorite movie? It's fuckin' weird, kid. You're fucked up if you like that."

"It's a  _classic_  Levi," Eren scolds, crossing his arms like a petulant child and glaring slits at the other man, his cheeks puffing slightly. "You have no taste."

"Oh,  _I_  have no taste?!  _Your_  favorite movie is all kinds of fucked up and strange as fuck, and  _I_  have no taste? Where's the logic, you brat? Just how many times did your mother drop you on your head as an infant?"

"You know what,  _fuck you_ , Levi. It's a good movie! I'm not saying that they're good people, but it makes you think! It's rather enthralling. And it's really interesting to think that the author of the book thought—"

"—a fucking  _book?!_ "

"—thought that, that was what the future would be like. That's how he envisioned the 2000s! Isn't that really—"

" —he's not just going about doing drugs in any normal or reasonable fashion, he's fucking giving himself a drug-cocktail enema or something just as fucked for his brain to shit out  _that_ —"

Eren's pealing laughter cuts off Levi's rant and his nerdy praise-singing, his arms curling around his waist tightly to try and hold his body together. He folds over himself, laughing harder than he ever has, so hard that tears are streaming from his eyes, and he can't breathe. Suddenly the singer is joining him, cackling and throwing his head back onto the couch, his eyes clenching shut. They laugh for what seems like forever, wrenching pain-filled gasps when they can. Eren half-lays across Levi's lap, whining and giggling, wincing from the pain, but still entirely too amused.

After several moments of trying and failing to compose himself, he finally whimpers out. "What the fuck, Levi."

The musician's chest is still shaking with silent laughter, and he sucks in a painful breath, covering his mouth with one of his hands. His face is flushed in uneven splotches, and his molten silver eyes are glistening.

"I didn't think you were listening because you just kept going. So I was just spewing out whatever popped into my head," Levi gruffly muttered, taking slow, deep breaths, and trying to force the hysteria away.

Eren hums, his eyes closing as he stays sprawled out over the shorter man's legs, his muscles relaxed entirely. After a small pause of him listening to their breathing evening out, he parts his lips to speak. "What's your favorite movie?"

"American Beauty," Levi murmurs, running his hand lazily through his hair.

"Sick. I like it too." Another pause, and the brunet sits up sluggishly. "Wanna watch it?"

* * *

The pair watched movies late into the night, going back and forth with one another's suggestions or favorites. Levi learned that Eren had a penchant for indulging in Quentin Tarantino films, only further solidifying in his mind that he was indeed fucked in the head. Not that they weren't brilliant movies, because they were, but they definitely were of the weird variety, and he made sure to tease the brunet whenever possible. Likewise, the lawyer learned the vast extent of how much his counterpart loved musicals; the man practically lived and breathed them, and would whisper every single line, or softly sing along. They bonded over ' _Rocky Horror Picture Show_ ' and their surprising shared love of Kevin Spacey and any film he was in. The world could say what they wanted about the man, but  _damn_  could he act.

Most surprisingly to Eren was the fact that Levi was a secret ' _Titanic_ ' fanatic; color him shocked when he had glanced over and saw actual tears silently trailing down porcelain cheeks during the sinking of the ship. He'd quietly shifted closer and curled his arm around the smaller man, letting him lean against his shoulder and sniffle softly without teasing him for it.

Which is how they'd ended up in his current predicament. Halfway through ' _Phantom of the Opera_ ', Levi had passed out, snuggled against Eren's chest like a delicate kitten. He was breathing softly, his hand fisted into the loose fabric of the brunet's shirt, and his face had relaxed into a nearly angelic expression. Easing them down, the lawyer laid out on his back in their nest, his arms wrapped around the raven-haired man's torso so he could carefully guide him. He froze when Levi shifted and muttered incoherently, settling further on top of him. His slender legs found a home between Eren's, even going so far to hook around one and tangle them together. The inky locks of his hair brushed against the taller man's chin, and he glanced down at the peacefully sleeping musician.

Once again, Eren's heart, mind, and body were at war. To be embraced with Levi in this manner felt so beyond heavenly, he couldn't help but to crave more. Yet, he had a duty to uphold, and parents to make proud. He felt so conflicted, his heart twisted up in anxiety and a deeply-rooted ache that would never fade. Earlier in the evening, he was painfully aware of how close he'd been to kissing the man in his arms, how much he had  _wanted_ it. Eren had been stone-cold sober, and the desire to kiss Levi was a thousand times stronger than the time he'd done so drunkenly. He didn't know what the fuck he was supposed to do. He was so very drawn to the singer, but he couldn't be. This couldn't  _mean_  anything, this would be fruitless, a wasted endeavor. He knew his fate; his life was laid out in front of him, a singular path that he had to dutifully continue down. There was no branching out, only an endless road of parental expectations that he had to meet in a timely manner. Marry Annie, have children, attend church, be an outstanding member of society.

But the issue was that he could see other paths through the thick, imposing bramble. Levi was showing him other roads, slowly hacking away at the threatening walls of thorns, and all it truly did was make him yearn and ache at what he couldn't have. He had to obey. Carla and Grisha were the deciders of his destiny, not himself. Still, he couldn't help but want,  _crave_  all that the singer offered in the palm of his hand. It was entirely too tempting. This should be easy. It should be easy to be friends, and nothing more, want for nothing more, but it wasn't. It was an agonizing struggle through quicksand, sucking him down deeper into despair and resignation.

Would it be so bad to venture out? He could explore whatever  _this_  was, whatever this tangle of feelings he held in his heart. Eren could potentially unravel them and figure this out. He could live for himself for once. His parents wouldn't even have to know; he could be extremely careful, tiptoe around them. Levi held a freedom cupped in his palms that he had never tasted before; the singer was offering it to him gently, not pushing or forcing him into movement. He was stuck, gnarled roots coiled around his ankles and holding him in place. All he had to do was reach out and take the hands with calloused fingertips offered to him, and they'd fall away.

The question was, would he ever be ready to take the plunge when so much lay at stake? Even as the brunet fell into a deep slumber, the question weighed heavy on his mind, and the hope that he would come to find the answer bloomed within his ribcage, dwelling there with a fragility that invited anxiety to twist its blackened tendrils around it.

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> And there you have it! Please leave comments and tell me what you think! Levi is my little precious bean, honestly he is so soft and I love him. It also looks like the inner conflict that Eren is suffering with is close to coming to a head, so look forward to that. What do you guys think? Did you like it? Was it too precious for words? Did it make you laugh? I want to know your thoughts!  
> If you've never seen A Clockwork Orange, you should. It really is fucked up, you might have to watch it twice for it to make sense, and man, the book is fucking phenomenal. It's a classic. But if you do seek it out, be prepared for the absolute fucked-upness that is in it. It's one of my favorites. Kevin Spacey is my favorite actor (yes I know there is controversy around him, but his acting skill is amazing, and the movies that he's been in are not diminished by said controversy. Please don't try to fight me on this, my thoughts won't change.) and pretty much every movie he's been in that I've seen is fucking iconic and I love them.  
> What are your favorite movies? Share in the comments! All the love!


	12. All I Want For Christmas is That Dick

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> Hey, it's an update! For all those who got notifications of this getting updated before I actually posted a new chapter, I'm sorry! I was editing and going back to add a timestamp. As you'll be able to observe at the beginning of this chapter, I'm timestamping the chapters to create a sense of urgency and to also keep us on a timeline that makes sense. Some chapters won't be featuring these, because they take place during the same month as the chapter that precedes them. Some months will only have one chapter, other's will have more. It just depends on what's taking place. Enough of that, though! I really hope you enjoy this chapter (how many times am I going to say that words, Jesus Christ), I worked hard on it and had fun! I apologize for any errors, grammatical or otherwise.

_**A Year and 2 Months Ago** _

_**December** _

The past month had flown by with Eren and Levi seeking each other out with every free moment they had to spare. The texting habit that they had formed on the bus had stuck with them, and they messaged back and forth every day. On the days that they were too busy and couldn't get together, they would crawl into their beds and talk on the phone, the singer keeping his voice low to keep Hange from nosing in on his business. He didn't always succeed, because at least once every few days, the woman would burst into his room and demand a turn with the brunet lawyer. Levi had lost many pillows by throwing them as hard as he could at her, and she would athletically catch them before cackling like a madwoman and steal them away to her room. At that point, he considered them lost forever, and mourned each one, because there was no way in hell that he would ever brave her room to retrieve them. This resulted in Eren presenting Levi with a new pillow nearly every time they hung out at the taller male's place, each one a little more ridiculous than the last.

Now, instead of sacrificing his good pillows, he had an ample supply of hideous, gaudy, embroidered cushions to chuck at his roommate. Unfortunately, he only had one good one left, and he had resigned himself to needing to make a trip to a specialty pillow shop to purchase more. The singer was extremely particular when it came to the fluffy sleep aides, and he wouldn't settle for some floppy superstore pile of shit. Levi had yet to do so, because it was very far out of his way, and he hadn't resigned himself to the short trip. He dealt with just using the one for now, even if he found it to be a little uncomfortable when he was used to having half of his bed taken up by them. It was going to make quite the little dip in his wallet, but he really didn't mind; money wasn't the same kind of concern for him as it had been when he was very young. It may not have been much of an object, but he still held to his roots; so long as he was able to live comfortably, he didn't need a lavish lifestyle. Sure, he would splurge on some things, who didn't? But he didn't need some fancy, 50 room mansion with a collection of sports cars that never got driven. He liked his two bedroom apartment very much, thank you. It wasn't too big and had a comfy, homey atmosphere.

How others used their own money was of no concern to him, but he chose to use it in a more meaningful way. He paid his younger sister's college tuition, bought his mother and uncle a house, donated to the pet shelters in his area regularly, and would often bring a surplus of goods to food pantries. Eren had been very pleased to learn that Levi liked to give back to the community just as much as he did.

Speaking of the lawyer, the raven-haired man was currently on his way to meet him at a little hole in the wall cafe. He drummed his fingers against the steering wheel, throwing cursory glances all around him. The first real snow of the year had hit out of nowhere last night, and once again it seemed that everyone had forgotten how to drive in the disgusting slush, so he couldn't be too cautious. While taking a turn, his phone began to vibrate noisily, and he breathed out a harsh sigh through his nose. He snagged it out of the passenger and answered the call without looking at the caller ID, already knowing who it would be.

"Look, brat, I'm on my fuckin' way. I know I'm running late, but I'm almost fucking there," he bit out irritably, gritting his teeth as he corrected the wheels after swerving minutely to avoid being grazed by some dumbass who drove like he owned the road.

 _"Levi,"_  an equally annoyed voice hit his ears, and he nearly veered off the road in shock. The steely feminine voice was not what he'd been expecting at all.

"Oh, fucking  _Christ_ ," he hissed, exasperated at himself. He really needed to start checking the caller ID. He quickly brought the phone away from his ear to check the screen, and low and behold, was greeted by white text spelling out his sister's name. Holding back a sigh, he re-positioned the phone and cradled it with his shoulder, glancing out cautiously at a fucking ancient ass sack of bones driving next to him. He brought this call on himself, considering the woman had the freaky psychic ability to know when he was thinking about her. "Now's not the best time, Mikasa, I'm driving."

His younger sister scoffed, and he assumed she was raising her brow right about now. She was far too much like him.  _"I know you're just trying to get rid of me, so don't try to play me. I just have a question and then I'll leave you alone to go on your date."_

"It's not a fucking date."

 _"Riiight, and I believe that. You're forgetting that we're siblings, aren't you. I can tell when you're lying, Lee. Don't try to bullshit me."_  She sounded like she was rolling her eyes. He bet his whole fucking paycheck she was rolling her eyes right now.

"Don't roll your eyes at me, you shit. Have some respect for your older brother," he drawled, spotting the cafe and carefully easing his car into the parking lot. "I miss your dumbass, Mika, but you're dragging this out and I really have to fucking  _go_ , so if you could do me a favor and get to the point..."

A small huff of a laugh crackled over the line, and he cracked a smile, relaxing back into his seat as he put his car in park.  _"Okay, I get it numbnuts. You're in a hurry for your daaate. Must be someone pretty special."_  Oh, you have no idea, he thought wistfully.  _"Mom told me to call. She wants to know if you're coming home for Christmas. You didn't spend Thanksgiving with us, and she really wants to spend your birthday with you."_

"Just admit you're calling because you miss me, and I'll say yes," Levi teased, stifling a chuckle when Mikasa grumbled a few expletives. "I'm waiting, brat."

 _"I miss you, so come home for your birthday, you old fuck,"_  she spat out, though the words lacked any real heat, and even held a bittersweet tone of truth.

His heart ached with melancholy at the realisation of how long it had really been since he'd seen his family. He'd been beyond busy with his career, and he'd spent Thanksgiving with his friends rather than going home. Guilt swept over him, and he ran a hand through his hair, mussing it up. He really was due for a visit, and he missed them dearly.

"Yeah, I'll be there. Promise," he murmured, and she must have heard the apology in his voice, because hers took on the subtle lilt of forgiveness.

_"Good. And bring Hange; mom knows how hard this time of year is on her, and she sees her as another daughter. She's always welcome here."_

"I know, and I will. Trust me, that shit-for-brains wouldn't let me leave without her even if I tried. She'd figure out how to shove her whole body into my suitcase without my knowledge," he joked, earning another little laugh from his sister. He smiled to himself, but jolted hard and nearly shat himself at the sound of tapping on the glass of his window. He spun in his seat to glare at whoever the fuck thought it was a good idea to startle him, and was pleasantly surprised to see none other than Eren. "I've gotta go, Mika. My  _friend_  is here," he stressed, trying to get her to drop her previous assumption.

 _"Enjoy your date,"_  was the last thing the young woman said in a nearly sing-song way, before she abruptly hung up.

Eye twitching in irritation at his brat sister, Levi shut his car off and climbed out, grabbing onto a gift bag before shutting the door behind him, turning to meet eyes with his favorite lawyer.

"Hey," Eren grinned, the greeting soft and full of happiness. His nose and cheeks were flushed red from the cold, and he wasn't wearing his contact, which was something he'd been doing with more frequency as of late. Levi was pleased to see it out in daylight more—not that it was any less beautiful in the brat's living room—and he secretly hoped it was because of himself. "I hope I wasn't interrupting anything important."

"Nah, don't worry about it, brat. It was just my shit of a sister making sure I was going home for Christmas." He shrugged off the concern, and then shuddered rather violently, wrapping his arms around himself rather awkwardly because of the package. "Can we go in now? My balls are ice cubes."

Eren laughed, and it was a beautiful sound, warming Levi up from the chest out. The brunet shook his head and gave his counterpart a fond look, gesturing for them to start walking. "There are other ways to warm them up, old man."

"Don't make promises you can't keep," Levi drawled, leading the way to the cafe's front door.

He'd never been there before, but Eren swore by it, so he decided they might as well give it a shot. Typically they hung out at Eren's house—had even gathered at Levi's apartment once, but the shorter man deemed it a one-off, because Hange had sat there and made kissy noises at them, cooed, and took thousands of pictures of them —but every so often they'd meet somewhere in public. Last week, they'd gone to an old, dilapidated second-hand book store that Levi was in love with, so this week it had been Eren's turn. Besides, this time together would run pretty short because it was the 20th, and the lawyer was even busier than normal, dealing with work and running around for his mother. According to him, they would be going to church on the 24th for a painfully long, dreadfully boring sermon, and he'd be staying the night in his family home to spend Christmas with them. It was really unfortunate, but it couldn't be helped, and Levi had his own family to endure shitty traditions with.

They moved into the queue, standing side by side, and Levi eyed the menu with thinly veiled distaste on his face. All he was seeing was coffee, coffee, and more coffee. Where was the fucking tea? Didn't cafe's normally serve both?

"I hate to break it to you, kid, but I fucking hate coffee. I'd rather piss in my own eye than drink that battery acid."

Eren snorted, trying to hold his laughter back, or at least keep it quiet considering they were in public, and he nudged Levi with his elbow. "You have a way with words, old man. Do you like tea?"

"Obviously," Levi sneered, internally cheering at the dorky little smile he'd brought to the other man's lips. "But they don't even have any," he complained, gesturing at the menu written on the wall.

"They do, it's just... not very good." The brunet hummed, eyeing his counterpart thoughtfully. "Do you trust me?"

"Yes," the singer answered without a moment's hesitation, surprising even himself. He flushed that delicate pink and averted his gaze, fingers fiddling with the handle on the gift bag.

"Let me order for you. Go sit down, I'll make sure to get you biscotti, since I know you love that shit." Eren waved his hand dismissively, smiling his charming little smile. "Go."

"It's not shit," Levi huffed, sticking his nose up into the air haughtily. He carried the package carefully, handling it with utmost care, and made his way over to a secluded booth. Pulling a small pack of Clorox wipes out of his pocket, he wiped down the table and seats, before disposing of the cloth.

He sat down, placing the present next to him on the bench seat, nearer to the wall. His slate irises immediately focused on the back of the brunet, watching as he made his way up to the counter and then placed their order. After he paid, he turned and flashed that heart-breaking rakish, crooked smile, and strode over to the booth. Eren removed his gloves and unwound his scarf from his neck, setting them aside on the bench. He undid several buttons of his charcoal double-breasted peacoat, breathing a small sigh of relief.

Levi eyed him with a scowl, pulling his coat tighter around him to hide a shiver. He stayed bundled up in his hat and gloves, far too cold to even think about removing any layers. "I don't understand how you're already warm enough to take your winter shit off," he grumbled, drawing his legs up to cross in his seat.

"I run hot," Eren hummed. The conversation stalled as a barista brought over their order, setting the tray in front of them. They thanked him, and the lawyer moved one of the carryout cups in front of Levi, looking at him expectantly.

The singer was glaring distrustfully at the innocuous little cup, with steam billowing up from the slit in the lid. Still, he'd said that he trusted Eren, so he really didn't have a choice in this. Grimacing, he daintily picked up the drink, bringing it over to his face. He subtly sniffed at the steam, trying to discern a scent from it. He detected hints of cinnamon and a pleasant aroma of spice. Eren watched, holding his breath, as Levi took a tentative sip from the hot drink. The singer swished the liquid around his mouth for a few moments to get a full grasp of the flavor, and then swallowed. The brunet saw his slate eyes widening fractionally, and he held the cup up and away from him with a curious sort of wonder painted on his face. Even though he had the feeling that Levi liked it, he was still antsy for him to say something, anything.

"The fuck is this?"

Well, anything but that. However, Eren wasn't at all surprised by the outburst. That was typical Levi for you: blunt and filterless. The lawyer snorted and rolled his eyes. "It's a dirty Chai. They basically add espresso shots to chai tea. Do you like it?"

The musician took another drink, longer this time, and hummed thoughtfully, closing his eyes. "The bastard child of coffee and tea shouldn't exist, but damn is it fucking delicious."

"I'm glad you like it," Eren breathed, a pleased smile curling his lips. He picked up his own cup and took a large swig, making a delighted little noise in the back of his throat. He really loved dirty Chai's; they were sweet without being overly so, had the perfect combination of spices, and were infused with an essence of coffee that wasn't overpowering. Eren nearly always ordered one on a cold day.

Levi munched on the biscotti, washing it down with the hot drink, and observed the cafe. It was some hole in the wall establishment, nothing like a Starbucks, and the atmosphere was very laid back and earthy. Couches were spread artfully throughout, covered in decorative throw blankets and pillows. The tables and chairs were very eclectic, not a single one matching another, but the cafe somehow managed to make it all work together without looking like a toddler designed the space. It's not the kind of place that he could really picture Eren inhabiting, what with all his pristine suits and respectable career, but if he imagined him as a teenager... it fit him, somehow. The singer felt like he was the one who stuck out like a sore thumb rather than his companion. This place was warm, made him think of summer days, and while Levi hated winter, he was very representative of it. Stark, pale, bleak. Snow didn't belong in summer.

However, being here with the brunet made him comfortable. He felt at ease and like perhaps he could fit in with their surroundings, mesh into the background and not stand out as someone who didn't belong. Eren was just like that for him. He gave Levi a sense of belonging, brought him to places like this and instead of letting him feel ostracized, was very inclusive with him. Or rather, all of his focus was on the singer, like they were sharing a secret amongst a mass of strangers, inside their own little bubble. Levi loved it. When they were together, they rarely ever paid attention to their phones, unless it was a call from someone important. They didn't spend their time together texting everyone else. It was simply Eren and Levi  _only_  time.

After Levi had finished his biscotti, he cleared his throat and wiped his hands on a napkin. They didn't have much time, he was sure of it, although he didn't check the time on his phone to make sure. That would make it more real, and he wanted to enjoy the rest of it without a knife dangling over his head. It was time to get to the main point of them having this little get-together. The musician carefully grasped onto the medium-sized gift bag that he brought into the cafe and set it gently on the table.

Turning his stormy gaze onto Eren, he cocked his head to the side. "Are you ready to exchange gifts?"

The smile on the brunet's face rivaled the brightness of the sun, and he reached into his jacket to pull out a small square box, setting it next to the bag. Because they weren't going to be able to see each other again until sometime after Christmas, they wanted to give each other their presents early.

Levi pushed the bag towards Eren, nervousness and excitement prickling at his stomach. His face flushed slightly when the lawyer began pulling the tissue paper out of the way. Nervousness was currently winning the prickle war, and he felt slightly nauseous. What if his gift was stupid, or Eren didn't like it? What if he was offended? God, maybe he should have gotten something practical, like socks. At least then, he would  _know_  that it was a disappointment before his counterpart even finished opening it. He wouldn't have to watch the light in his eyes die unprepared. It didn't matter in that moment that the gift he had was custom-made, he was sure that he'd completely misread the man in front of him, and he would hate it. He sunk his teeth into his inner bottom lip hard enough to draw blood as his counterpart finished removing all of the tissue paper.

Sticking his hand into the bag without looking, Eren closed his fingers around something fluffy, and slowly pulled it out. He observed the furry gift, an absolutely soft smile curling up his lips. It was a stuffed animal, and looked rather realistically like the animal it was modeled after.

"It's a dog," he stated warmly, curling his arm around it and bringing it to his chest, hugging it. He gave Levi a bashful smile, his flushing cheeks having nothing to do with the cold outside. The German Shepherd he cradles was so much more than perfect, and happiness bloomed in his chest, making him feel light.

The singer chuckled nervously, rubbing the back of his undercut with his gloved hand, and tucked his face down, peeking up through his lashes at the breathtaking brunet. "Yeah, it is. I just remembered how you said you wanted pets really badly, but you couldn't have them, so. Yeah."

"I love it, so much. Thank you." The way he said it was so genuine and sweet, Levi lit up like a Christmas tree, and that absolutely soft ghost of a smile that Eren loved curled his lips. The lawyer hid his face in the fur of his stuffed animal, his voice low as he divulged a secret. "This means a lot to me, more than you realise. My parents never let me have stuffed animals because they were for girls. So you've given me two gifts," he trailed off, his heterochromatic eyes burning into Levi's with a flood of appreciation.

The raven-haired man bit his tongue, holding back his thoughts on how ridiculous he thought that his companion's parents were. He didn't want to ruin this short visit with any negativity. Levi supposed that maybe that was considered normal growing up in a religious family, but it really didn't sit well with him. Nevertheless, he dismissed it; Eren didn't seem to have any issues with his parents from the way he spoke about them, although there was something  _off_  about it, but that was a subject better suited for another day. So instead, the singer filed it away and watched with a fondness in his gaze as Eren snuggled his present.

Still holding onto the stuffed dog with one arm, the brunet picked up the box he brought and placed it in his counterpart's hand. "Your turn."

Levi obliged, taking care in the way he unwrapped the box, not wanting to tear the paper. He set it aside and then opened the box slowly, curiosity lighting up his expression. When he revealed the Patek Philippe watch sitting within, his jaw nearly hit the table. He could have shit bricks from the utter shock. The timepiece was absolutely sleek and stunning, and with just a glance, anyone would be able to discern that it was an expensive luxury brand. There was no fucking way he could accept this kind of gift from the lawyer. This had to cost an arm and a leg.

"Holy  _shit,_  Eren," he wheezed, unable to find the ability to draw enough air to speak, let alone breath comfortably. "There's—I can't—"

Eren held up a hand to cut the other man off, getting a devious light in his eyes, but keeping his expression innocent. "It's more for me, really. Wear it so you can stop being the bane of my existence. Maybe you'll actually be on time for once."

The reaction he got was exactly the one he wanted, and absolutely priceless. Levi bristled, suddenly forgetting that he was going to try to refuse the gift, and got an utterly insulted expression painted over his face. He glared mutinously at the cheeky brunet across from him and sucked his teeth loudly, leaning forward to try and make his deathglare even more intimidating.

Dropping his voice low and arming it with a sharp edge, he hissed out with venom. "Hey, you little fucking shit, I'm not always late. I wasn't late last time."

"Yes, but you were late consistently beforehand, and you were late today," Eren pointed out with a cocky smirk, his head cocking to the side.

"Tch, fuckin' brat," Levi grumbled, sitting back and slouching in his seat. He crossed his arms and scowled at the table, angry that he couldn't even deny the truth in the other man's words.

"So do me a favor and wear it," Eren chuckled, lifting the watch out of the box and holding it with his fingers. "It'll look sexy on you," he added, holding the timepiece out to his counterpart.

 _"Tch,"_  the raven-haired man sucked his teeth extra loudly, before snatching the watch and attaching it to his wrist. Secretly, he was extremely pleased with Eren's little manipulation tactic. He knew just how to get under the singer's skin, but he'd never admit to how much he loved that.

The brunet hummed, finishing his dirty Chai. "I have another gift for you, by the way." His tone of voice was completely casual, and he stood up from the booth, fixing up his jacket and gently placing the stuffed dog back into its bag before gathering his gloves and scarves. "It's in my car."

Levi grumbled about how Eren was going to be the death of him and that old men didn't need to be spoiled, and snagged his carryout cup, clutching it in his gloved fingers as if it would protect him from the blistering cold outside. They walked out together and over to the silver Jaguar, with the singer shivering and stuttering out expletives through his chattering teeth. The lawyer popped his trunk with a click of his fob and lead the way over to it. He watched as Levi made his way over, took one look in the trunk, and nearly dove in. There were at least ten of his favorite specialty pillows, and he made a strange noise in his throat at the sight. Never had Levi ever wanted to fucking blow his load because of  _pillows_  before.

"You did fucking not, you shit," the singer muttered, expression twisting and twitching, like it wasn't sure whether to express irritation or utter joy.

"Seeing as how it's partly my fault all your pillows were sacrificed to Goggles..." Eren trailed off, collecting about five of them in his arms. "Get your car open for me."

What the fuck kind of gift from the gods  _was_  this kid? Was he trying to kill him? Did he  _want_  his bones jumped, because fuck, this was the way to go about it, apparently. Levi shook his head and unlocked his car, holding open the backseat door so that Eren could load in all the pillows. He shivered visibly, curling his arm around his waist as he shifted from foot to foot. After the lawyer finished, he dusted off his gloves, and then smiled brightly at the musician in front of him.

"Happy Early Birthday, Levi." Fuck, the way his heart was palpitating couldn't be healthy, could it? Was he going to have a heart attack and die? Were there just a swarm of fucking bees making a home out of his thoracic cavity? The buzzing was so loud he could feel it in his lungs. His cheeks were burning from more than the cold, and he forced himself to gaze up through his lashes into those precious gemstones that the other man called irises.

"Merry Christmas, Eren," he murmured, thankful that his voice came out strong, and he didn't stutter over his words.

Levi could have died on the spot when the lawyer leaned forward and determinedly wrapped his own scarf around the singer's neck. It wasn't well done, and it got draped over the raven-haired man's head a bit, but he felt so fucking warm. Eren's large hands lingered close for a few moments, and the lawyer really wanted to reach out and hug the shorter man, but he wasn't quite sure how he would respond. He didn't have long to contemplate the risk versus reward, because Levi nearly launched himself at Eren, curling his arms around his neck to hug him tightly. The brunet wrapped his own arms around the slim waist, lifting the shorter man up off his toes in a crushing hug. They stood like that for who knows how long, with hearts trying to beat their way out of ribcages.

Levi spoke first, still refusing to end the hug. "We're having a New Year's party. You should come."

"Yeah," Eren murmured, squeezing the other man a little tighter. This past month he'd been at war with all of the conflicting feelings inside of him, but he was slowly reaching a conclusion. He was feeling less guilty and more... open, to whatever this all was. He just needed to make sure, and to build up enough bravery to face it, if it was indeed true. "See you after Christmas, old man."

"Cheeky brat," Levi teased, finally drawing back. Eren set him back down on his feet, and he refused to be embarrassed about being vertically challenged. He was about to start unwrapping the lawyer's scarf when his large gloved hand stopped him.

"Keep it. Maybe you won't freeze your nuts off anymore," he joked with a grin, and Levi rolled his eyes as they parted ways.

This was a wonderful way to start the holidays, he thought. He was impossibly warm inside, and feeling a gentle bubble of happiness encase him. It was going to suck that he most likely wouldn't see the brunet until New Year's Eve, however. Levi was extremely thankful that they utilised their phones to communicate far more than some ditzy teenage girls did. Besides, he  _did_  need to spend time with his family. He really did miss them, and he felt guilty for not reaching out more often. Hange would be ecstatic to see the Ackerman's again, as well. And he wanted to make this time of year easier on her.

When he arrived home, he carried in every pillow himself, refusing to let his roommate even glance at them. They were  _his precious pillows_ , damnit, and he was never going to sacrifice them ever again. She could just keep all of the ugly pillows that Eren supplied him with.

"Mikasa called," he announced to Hange once he'd caught his breath from making several trips and all of his pillows were safely in his room. "We're going home for Christmas."

The woman whooped and cheered, throwing herself at Levi to give him a back-breaking hug. "I can't wait! It'll be so fun, little grumpy! We're gonna have a great time."

It was time to get packing, because in just a few day's time, they'd be back at the Ackerman home. Maybe he could sneak a bottle of Fireball into his suitcase, because he was going to need to be heavily drunk to deal with all of the nutcases.

"Here we go," he muttered.

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> And there you have it! Please tell me what you thought! I can't really tell if this chapter is good or up to par, although I did have fun writing it. Hopefully it isn't confusing or anything. What did you think of their gifts to each other? It was so hard for me to come up with something for each of them, that was the hardest part about writing this chapter. Share your thoughts, sweet readers, down in the comments! I read and reply to every single one.  
> If you haven't had a dirty Chai, holy fuck they're so good. What are your favorite drinks? I hope this chapter filled you with fluff and also made you laugh. Enjoy the title!  
> I HAVE AN IMPORTANT QUESTION: I am by no means the most amazing artist ever, but I do like to draw, and I was wondering, would any of you enjoy having me feature a picture of a character every so often (I ask because I have a particular event in my mind that this might be useful)? It's perfectly fine if not, just consider this a poll! Thank you in advance for answering! All the love! And see you next time!


	13. It's Beginning to Look A Lot Like I Want to Fucking Die

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> Well hello, my dear readers! I've brought the next chapter! Chapter 14 will be following, either tomorrow or Thursday, so be ready! Also! I've made an instagram purely for my writing, so if you'd like to get little sneak peeks or be kept up to date (maybe even get to see bits of my story notes) follow me there. My insta user is: rits.writes (creative, right?). It would also be a great way to communicate with me! Isn't that fun?  
> Anyway, back to business. I don't know if I can really call this chapter fun to write, per se... you'll see why... but there were some really fun moments. Oh, who the fuck am I kidding, I'm the Queen of Mean because angst is my forte.  
> I hope you're ready for a Holly Jolly Jaeger Christmas. It got pretty lengthy, to be honest. Hopefully it's not too wordy and isn't boring at all. Please do enjoy this chapter! I apologize for any errors, grammatical or otherwise. This is unbeta'd.

Every single year at this time, Eren has the same exact thought:  _this is going to be the longest two days of my life._  Every single year, that sentiment holds true. Christmas at the Jaeger house is a dreaded affair that cannot be escaped from, and must be endured with clenched teeth and faux smiles. It always starts the same; Eren arrives bright and early at his parent's home on the 24th. He braces himself before exiting his car, and drags his small luggage bag up the walkway to the front door. Taking several deep breaths with eyes closed, he tells himself he can make it through the next 48 hours, then knocks on the door, sealing his fate.

Carla pulls open the door after several long moments, greeting her son with a hug and a pretty little smile on her lips. He's tugged inside the warm home to be rushed around in order to get ready on time to head out for church. His mother is adamant that nobody is allowed to eat until dinner, claiming that appetites aren't to be ruined. Luckily for the brunet, he made sure to eat a bagel before leaving his own house, and brushed his teeth to be rid of the evidence. He's being pushed up the staircase to his old room, where all of his old furniture remains from his teen years. Once inside, he unzips his suitcase, and removes one of his best suits. Making sure there are no wrinkles, he hooks it on the closet door's handle, heaving a silent sigh. He's alone in the room, and it gives him time to brood without any watchful eyes.

Eren stares blankly at the suit, running his hands through his hair periodically from the immense stress building up in him. He can get through this, just as he has every year before. He's lucky that he hasn't lived here for the past few years, because after the holiday is called to a close, he can leave everything behind him. He can go back to being himself rather than hiding behind the mask of a proper Christian son. Coming back to the Jaeger house is like a bucket of ice cold water being thrown in his face, reminding him of the relief that it is to be removed from his parents. If he still had to endure the torturous stress every single day the way that he had when he had no choice but to live under their roof, he was certain he would have broken by now. He's grateful to be an adult with his own house, where he's allowed to relax without harsh judgment.

He's wasted too much time wallowing, he realises, when his mother knocks on the door to ask if he's ready yet. Wanting to rip his hair out, he plasters on a cheerful tone to his voice. "Almost mom, don't worry. I wouldn't want to be late."

She's gone a few moments later, and Eren is trudging miserably over to the suit, carefully removing it from its hanger. There's no way he can avoid this, so he resigns himself to it. He slips his arms into the dress shirt, buttoning it and straightening it out. Black slacks, belt, socks, and dress shoes follow. Expertly, he threads his tie around his neck and creates the perfect windsor knot. He shrugs into his suit jacket and fastens two buttons, staring at himself in the mirror hanging on the door. Eren let's his eyes roam up and down his form, front and back, to make sure not a single thing is out of place. He's impeccably put together, and he uses that to shield himself from the inevitable suffering this outing will bring. He brings his gaze up to his own irises, staring at the left eye where his contact is already in place, and will remain so. It feels weird to have it there. He's been spending so much time with his golden eye exposed, that the slim film of the contact feels weighted. It's drying everything out, making the iris below feel irritated. Eren wants nothing more than to rip it out and drop it into the bin, but he's in the lion's den, now. Nothing would make this excursion more unbearable than to be stared at like the freak he is and be heavily judged for a deformity he can't control.

Taking a deep, shaky breath, Eren closes his eyes tightly, tugging a mental image of Levi to the forefront of his mind. He's picturing that subtle expression of awe that the singer adopts when he meets the brunet's heterochromatic gaze. No matter how many times his shorter counterpart has seen them, they never seem to get old, never seem to lose their ability to draw him in. And knowing this, seeing Levi in his head, with that utterly intrigued look on his face and  _"so pretty"_  falling from his pouting lips, soothes Eren immensely. Even if none of these people could appreciate his oddity, even if they hated him or called him a child of the devil, there were people in his life that loved it or thought it was really fucking cool, and that was all that mattered. The assholes at the church didn't deserve to see it, anyway.

Slowly, his lids part, and he stares at his reflection with more determination and fire than he had been prior. Eren was a very strong young man, he could handle this. He would get through this holiday and had something to look forward to for surviving it. Once all was said and done, he would get to see Levi again, and would be able to enjoy a party for New Year's. The prize was lit up at the end of the tunnel, he just had to wade through a sea of bullshit before he got there. Nodding firmly to himself, Eren turned away from the mirror and exited the room, heading down the stairs to meet his family. He strode into the den, coming to a stop a few feet away from them.

Isabel was currently pouting for all she was worth, arms crossing over her chest petulantly. Her hair was no doubt styled by their mother, who he would bet had to use a shit ton of product to tame it, and it fell in pristine ringlets down to the middle of her back. Her face was made up, but done so in a subtle enough manner that it enhanced her features. He thought his younger sister was beautiful, and that she didn't need the makeup, but he knew how Carla could be. She would force her daughter to be ladylike and her son to be a perfect masculine gentleman, because it's the way God intended it to be. Izzy was clad in a deep emerald gown, embellished with sheer organza inlaid with sparkling rhinestones that clung to her shoulders and arms. The dress was sinched tight at the waist and billowed out around her legs, where the hem barely dusted over the ground. She turned away from their parents and glared helplessly up at her brother, a sharp scowl twisting her lips to show her displeasure. The gown brought out her viridian irises, making them seem all the more vibrant and jewel-like.

Eren gave his sister a sympathetic wince, quickly masking it when his parents faced him. His mother was absolutely decked out in a velvet carmine gown embossed with snowflakes, painful-looking heels, and baubles hanging from her ears. She'd weaved tinsel throughout the braid draped over her shoulder, and the siblings could tell that she was in full competitive-Christmas mode. They dreaded seeing all of the Christian mothers trying to out-do one another in Christmas spirit. There were sure to be women dressed far more ridiculously than his own mother, and he nearly groaned with trepidation. It was a damn shame that his parents were firmly against alcohol, because the only way he'd be able to get through this with his sanity in tact was heavily drunk.

Grisha wore an old-fashioned suit with a tailcoat, in a shade so deeply green it almost looked black, and the tie he had around his neck matched Carla's dress. His specs sat on the bridge of his nose, the golden chain connected to them glittering against the lapels of his jacket. His own long greying hair was tugged back into a low ponytail, not a hair out of place.

After receiving two severe once-overs, one from each parent, both siblings earned a silent seal of approval, and were herded out to the car to be whisked off to Christmas Eve Service. Eren wondered if it would be considered festive of him if he painted his brain matter over the rear windshield. After all, wasn't red a merry color?

* * *

Two hours into Pastor Leonhart preaching his heart out about Jesus and why everyone should suck the Lord and Savior's dick (Eren's words, not the Pastor's obviously), the brunet was planning out the epitaph he wanted carved onto his headstone, certain that he was one more hymn away from dying of boredom. Teal eyes swept around the church pews surreptitiously, scanning to make sure that no one was paying any attention to him whatsoever. His parents were sitting together in the pew in front of him, and his sister was seated next to him. Their row was shared by the alarmingly old, and there was quite a bit of space between the lawyer and Mr. Paperskin, who was currently passed the fuck out. Or dead. Eren couldn't tell; it didn't  _look_  like the decrepit and withered old man was currently breathing. Concern was beginning to rise in him, and he had the terrible thought that if this man was in fact, dead, he'd most likely be able to escape from this Hellish service because of the excitement and panic. A startled jolt shot through him when Mr. Passed the Fuck Out snored slightly, his chest rising as he did so. Eren breathed a soft sigh of relief, once again shooting a furtive glance around the room on the off chance that the small snore had drawn anyone's attention. It hadn't.

As slyly as possible, the brunet slipped his hand into the pocket of his trousers and curled his long fingers around his smartphone. Feeling along the edge until the pad of his finger brushed over the volume control button standing out in sharp relief against the smooth surface, he quickly pressed against it until he was certain it was on silent. Eren let severl dragging minutes pass by, before he inched the cell out slowly, carefully staying aware of his surroundings. Once fully removed from his pocket, he kept it angled toward his leg and brought the screen to life, sliding the brightness all the way down to the lowest setting. As sneaky as he'd been, Isabel had noticed his movements, and was shooting him a curious look.

He finally brought the face of the phone parallel to the ceiling and tapped open his messages, selecting  _'Tiny Satan'_  and snapped a picture of himself and his sister at the most unflattering angle to ever exist, since he couldn't risk raising his phone up and drawing attention. He captioned the image with,  _'If you don't do something to amuse me in 5 seconds, I'm gonna bite my tongue off and choke to death.'_  He sent it off, holding his phone firmly beside his leg and out of sight, waiting for a response.

Izzy read over what he'd said and let out a huff of air, rolling her eyes but clearly agreeing if the expression on her face was anything to go off of. They both watched the screen, and a series of pictures popped up. Eren thumbed through them starting with the first. In it were three people that he had to assume were Levi's family members; they all had inky black hair, varying in lengths, and the two women had skin that was the exact shade as the singer's. The woman with long, wavy hair that cascaded down her back must have been his mother, because while she still appeared rather youthful, the creases and laughlines on her face said otherwise. Not to mention the startling stripe of silver running down the fringe of her hair and framing the right sight of her face. That left the other girl by her side to be Levi's sister, who had hair cropped short at the nape of her neck and angled down to be longer in the front. They were focused on the large Christmas tree sitting in the center of the room, caught in the middle of adding decorations. The last person in the picture was a man, and he was leaning heavily to the side, mid-stride with a heavily flushed face. Eren assumed he was drunk.

The following series of pictures told a story: Levi's sister had stood up and was trying to guide the gentleman further into what appeared to be the living room, a look of concern on her face. His mother had moved away from the tree in the third picture, her lips parted mid-sentence, with a scolding look on her face while the man swatted the younger woman away. The fourth picture showed the man stumbling forward, dangerously close to the tree, and the two women were both reaching for him, looks of dread on their faces. The last image showed the tree knocked on its side, with two legs jutting out of its branches and a slipper dangling off of a foot stuck in the air. Eren nearly snorted, his lips pressing together into a thin line. His eyes watered heavily from the surge of laughter building inside of him, but he held it in, going purple in the face from the lack of oxygen. He hit the power button on the side of the phone, forcing it to go dark, and clutched it tightly in his fist. He could hear Izzy breathing shallowly, the softest of whines catching in her throat.

Eren chanced a look at his sister, and then promptly doubled down on his efforts not to burst out into peals of laughter. Her face was a splotchy sort of red, wrinkled up in her own attempts at holding everything in, and she had a small hand clamped over her lips to stifle any other sounds. The two siblings sat there in varying shades of reds and violets, shoulders trembling from strain. The lawyer tried to think of sad things to kill his amusement, but he couldn't. It took quite a long time for the both of them to finally calm down. Izzy had a few tears streaking down her cheeks, and she wiped them away. They shared a glance that said everything: should Eren dare to even open the messages once again? Yes, the answer was a definite yes.

So, with shaking fingers, he typed in his passcode and opened the app up once again, finding a new message beneath the slew of photos.  _'I hope that was amusing enough, brat. I don't want you dying on me.'_  He responded quickly, Iz leaning closer so that she could read everything a little better.  _'You almost killed us. What happened, and who are they?'_

It took a little while to get a response, and Eren read it carefully through once it finally popped up.  _'My uncle Kenny is trashed on his homemade eggnog. Mikasa, my sister, and my mother, Kuchel, were trying to get him to the couch and away from the fucking tree. He tried to insist he didn't need any help, and then tripped over his own feet. Mom's pissed, I'm pretty sure he snapped the damn thing in half.'_  A few seconds later, and a new image came through. The brunet was almost scared to open it, but he couldn't help himself. He clicked on it, bringing up a picture of the Christmas tree. It was standing back up, but it had indeed been snapped in half. Several of its branches were crooked and jutting out at odd angles, and the top half of the tree lay on its side pitifully, the star resting a couple feet away next to shattered baubles.

Eren caved in on himself, folding over and letting his phone fall with a dull thud onto the floor. He curled his arms around his waist and gripped hard, digging his fingers into his side. Tears were freely streaming down his face, and he was shaking almost violently with silent laughter. He was thanking his lucky stars that the Pastor had just started leading everyone through a prayer, because all heads were bowed and eyes were closed. Isabel fell into him, panting softly and shuddering just as hard as he was. He couldn't even look at her, certain that if he did, he would let out a bark of a laugh and the jig would be up. Eren  _really_  didn't want to bring down the wrath of the entire church on them, or even worse, their parents' rage.

Managing to get their wits about them before the prayer ended, Eren and Isabel straightened up after he snatched his phone from the floor, adjusting themselves quickly and drying their faces. He shot a text back to Levi, begging him to have mercy and cease sending him pictures. After the singer agreed, they continued to text throughout the rest of the service. He hardly paid attention to the elementary school-aged children putting on a Nativity play. He'd had to participate in those productions when he'd been their age, and he'd had to sit through it every single year. He practically knew the fucking thing forwards and backwards and could recite it by rote. By the end of the fourth our, the service was being called to a close, and Eren had to quickly tell Levi he'd text him when he got back to his parents' house before slipping his phone back into his pocket.

He stood up with the congregation and stepped out of the pews, milling about with Izzy while his parents went to talk with the Pastor. Leaning back against the wall, he sighed, ready for this night to be over. Thankfully, the service hadn't been as painful as it normally was, because he'd had Levi to keep him sane and amused. Isabel let out a breath, shaking her head in disbelief.

"Is he always that funny? I thought I was gonna break in half with how hard I was laughing," Iz announced, amazement coloring her voice. She cocked her head and looked at her brother, grinning widely.

"Yeah, he is. Trust me, that's not even the worst of it. His mouth just spouts out the most inappropriate shit and makes me laugh at the most inopportune times." Eren shook his head, a fond smile curling his lips without him realising it as he stared wistfully off at nothing.

Izzy said nothing, her smile fading from her lips as she studied her brother's expression, realisation flitting through her emerald eyes. She kept her mouth shut tight, knowing this wasn't the time to bring anything up. Instead, she let it go, and turned to look around the church, a strangled sound catching in her throat. She straightened up, running her hands down the front of her dress to smooth it out.

"Incoming rental units," she muttered under her breath, and Eren immediately jolted up off of the wall like he'd been burned, standing properly.

Carla and Grisha stopped in front of them, the smiles on their faces making the lawyer feel oddly suspicious. "Good news, dears," his mother started, clasping her hands in front of her chest in excitement. "Pastor Leonhart has invited us to have dinner with them tonight."

"His wife has already prepared everything, so we'll be following them home," Grisha cut in gruffly, putting a heavy hand on Eren's shoulder. The brunet felt his stomach drop as dread coiled up inside of his chest, threatening to rip the smile right off of his lips. He kept it plastered on, refusing to let the mask crack.

"That's great, dad," he stated mechanically, catching the little sigh of disappointment that Isabel breathed out through her nose.

"Well, let's go!" Carla said cheerfully, ushering them all towards the doors. "We can't keep them waiting."

His father held him back with a tight grip on his shoulder, and Eren watched with despair as his sister and mother continued on ahead of them. Once they were out of earshot, Grisha moved in front of the brunet to get his full attention, both of his hands grabbing onto his biceps. The man had a severe, serious expression on his face, and his eyes had a stern light. Fuck, there was no way to avoid whatever this was. Eren braced himself, tensing up, but kept the panic out of his eyes and his face neutral.

"Son," Grisha started, his voice rumbling low. "This is the perfect time for you to ask for the Pastor's permission to have Annie's hand in marriage. Don't screw this up, boy. This is very important to your mother and I. It's only proper that you impress Pastor Leonhart. Do you understand?"

Eren swallowed hard, forcing a smile to his lips and bowing his head in obedience. "Of course, father. I won't disappoint you." Inside, his heart was tearing itself apart. He didn't want to do this  _now._  But he had to, for his parents.

"Good," was all Grisha said, before he turned away and gestured for Eren to follow.

The two Jaeger men headed outside of the church and to the car. Eren stayed silent, and Isabel kept shooting looks of concern over her brother's way. She was alarmed at the way the light in his eyes had dimmed significantly, and his "happy" expression seemed forced and pained. She reached over quietly and grasped his hand, trying to ease his tension by showing that he wasn't alone. The lawyer silently clutched onto her fingers tightly, his hand trembling the whole way to the Leonhart estate.

Time flew by dreadfully fast, and before he knew it, the car was pulling up to the massive gates. Grisha followed the Pastor's vehicle all the way up the long drive, parking just behind him. Once the car was off, all four of the Jaeger's opened their doors and climbed out. Izzy kept close to her brother, worry etched into her forehead, and they trailed after their parents. Carla kept cooing in admiration of the Pastor's home, complimenting them on the pristine state the grounds were kept in. They were all led inside by the Leonhart's, and Eren wasn't even paying attention to where they were being brought to. He nearly ran into his father's back when they all came to a stop, and he blinked several times, finally looking around to take in his surroundings.

They stood in the middle of a massive dining room; a gargantuan Christmas tree sat off to the side, professionally decorated with golden and white baubles, tinsel, chiffon ribbons and golden thread. The diamond star at the top shimmered brilliantly, reflecting the light from a crystal chandelier. A fireplace was quietly crackling away against a broad wall. In the center of the room sat a dining table with a pristine white cloth and diningwear already set out. Everything was absolutely spotless.

"Oh, it's very beautiful, Pastor," Carla murmured in awe, a hand resting over her heart.

"Please, Carla, call me Joseph," Pastor Leonhart insisted, giving her a thin-lipped smile. "You all remember my wife, Sofia." He gestured to the pretty blonde woman at his side.

Sofia stood about a few inches taller than Annie, and Eren hadn't even known it was possible for a woman to look as frigid as she did. He had never seen her this up close before, it had always been from a distance. Her face was extremely youthful, lacking the fine lines that Levi's mother had, probably because she never made expressions. Her eyes were that piercing ice blue that Annie had inherited. Her pin-straight flaxen hair was pulled back into a half-updo, the rest of it falling down to the middle of her back.

"Have a seat, if you would please," Sofia said softly, the hint of a French accent in her voice. It was barely there, only noticeable in the way that she pronounced her vowels. "Dinner will be served shortly."

Joseph Leonhart sat at the head of the table, his wife taking the seat to his left with Annie across from her. Eren sat next to Annie, with Izzy next to him, and Grisha sat at the other end of the table, with Carla on his right, next to Sofia. As soon as everyone was comfortably seated, servants began pouring in from a door that presumably led to the kitchen, carrying covered dishes and various pitchers. Silence pervaded the air as the staff set out everything upon the table, lifting away lids to expose various steaming foods. Once everything had been set out, the servants bowed and left, and the Pastor cleared his throat, drawing attention to himself.

"Let us pray," he announced, and everyone dutifully clasped hands, heads tilting downwards. "Grisha, if you would do the honors."

Eren's father looked immensely pleased as he nodded in agreement, and then led them through saying Grace. It took a while longer than it normally did in the Jaeger household, and the brunet was aware that Grisha was most likely trying to impress the other man. Inwardly sighing, the lawyer stared down morosely at his plate, ignoring the feeling of Annie's cold hand squeezing his fingers. He would give anything not to be here. He wanted to go home.

"Amen," the group chorused, and their hands dropped. They began serving their food, the soft chatter of small talk mingling with the clinking of metal against ceramic. Eren pushed his food around his plate, making a show of eating and appearing pleased with the situation.

"Sofia, you  _must_  share your recipes. This is delicious," Carla complimented, smiling cheerfully at the other woman. They started discussing fine cuisine and the ways in which they differentiated when cooking.

Eren felt his body relaxing. So far, the conversation was remaining pleasant, and he was feeling more and more like he could get through this unscathed. Never mind the fact that before the night ended, he'd have to speak with the intimidating Pastor to appease his parents. The two families chatted amicably, the brunet piping in when he deemed necessary. Joseph was rather curious about his law firm, and he answered as respectfully as he could, explaining the ins and outs of his profession. This was a comfortable topic; it was safe, so long as he avoided going in depth about the friends he employed. He merely mentioned how skillful they were, and how they were all in the top percentile at the college he'd attended. There was no need to discuss anything personal about them. Grisha got the Pastor involved in conversation once more, and Eren relaxed back into silence, relieved that he was saved from further probing. Perhaps this night would end on a high note.

The universe always set out to prove him very,  _very_ wrong. He had spoken too soon. The sweet moment of reprieve from fear was shattered quite easily and very suddenly, replaced with a vicious stab of anxiety and dread.

"Grisha, I've been meaning to ask you," Joseph started, clearing his throat and setting his fork down to pat at his lips with his napkin. His father looked up from his plate, resting his forearms against the table in curiosity. " You see, recently I've acquired a clinic of sorts, and I've turned it into a conversion therapy center. Having a licensed doctor on the premises would really help the cause and ease the troubled soul's minds that we have staying there for extended periods. Your medical knowledge is invaluable."

Eren's father was quiet for a few moments, setting his own silverware down and leaning back in his seat. A smile broke out over his face, and the lawyer wanted to rid his stomach of the food he'd just consumed. "Why, I would be honored, Joseph. I was hoping to offer you my services. Carla and I greatly admire the strides you're making for society."

"I agree, sir," his mother spoke up respectfully, turning her face towards the Pastor, but keeping her eyes off of his face. "We would love nothing more than for Grisha to help you pave a path for those who are sick in the head."

"Wonderful!" Pastor Leonhart announced, giving a hardy chuckle. "We must do everything we can to save the lambs that have strayed from God's path. Annie has been volunteering there since we opened it, but there is only so much my family can do. Having a doctor on staff would relieve me immensely."

Eren stopped listening. He couldn't bear to hear another word. He was clenching onto his fork so hard his knuckles were turning white, and bile was rising in his throat, threatening to spill from his lips. He could taste the sour acid on his tongue and swallowed it back down. Anxiety ripped through him, filling his lungs with lead. It was so hard to breathe, and yet he had to continue to force air in through his nose. He couldn't let on the abject terror and absolute disgust he was feeling. His free hand rested against his thigh, clenched into a shaking fist. He had to hold his tongue, or his father would flay him. There was no way he could disappoint his parents, he had to do as they wanted. He had to earn the Pastor's favor, so that he could marry Annie and make his parents happy.

"Eren would love to volunteer! Wouldn't you, dear?" Carla's voice cut into him like a knife, and he wished for the ground to swallow him up.

Instead, he schooled his features, lifting his head up and curling his lips into a smile. "Of course, mother. I'd be happy to help." Those words tasted  _foul_ , he wanted to spit them from his mouth. The food in his stomach was curdling, and a wave of dizziness clouded his brain. He fought back the urge to vomit or pass out, willing his breathing to remain even, and his mask not to falter.

He could feel Annie lovingly grasping his hand, and his muscles twitched, wanting to smack her away. Eren held onto his control, remaining still. This dinner couldn't go on forever. It had to end soon. He was disgusted by these people, and he already called half of them family. Too soon for his tastes, they'd all be his family. Blessedly, they stopped including him in conversation. He was focusing all of his energy on remaining calm, the faces of his friends flashing through his mind. Jean and Marco, Historia and Ymir. They were so happy together, so in love. How anyone could see anything wrong with their love, he just couldn't comprehend. How someone could look at them and feel nothing but hate and disgust didn't mesh in his head right. He didn't understand these views that he grew up with, and he never would.

Snippets of conversation kept worming their way into his brain, _electric shock therapy_ ,  _aversion therapy, diseased minds_. His own father was suggesting methods that could be used, and all Eren could think was  _torture._  These fucking people were discussing torturing  _human beings_  over dinner like it was the fucking weather. His breath caught in his throat as his stomach rolled unpleasantly, and he could feel his heart racing in his chest. He wanted to go home. He couldn't do this anymore. Isabel put her hand over his under the table, clutching tightly with trembling fingers, and it was the only thing keeping him grounded. He knew that she was the same as him; Izzy didn't share their parents' views. Knowing that she was suffering just as he was, had to hold her tongue just like he did, was what kept him in control of himself.

Finally, fucking  _finally,_  the Pastor announced that dinner was over, and thanked the Jaeger's for coming. Eren stood stiffly, stepping back from the table. He had to force himself to move as he normally would, otherwise he'd have jumped up and ran from the room. Grisha caught his eye, giving him a stern look, his lips set into a severe line. This night wasn't over just yet. Resigning himself with absolute dread, Eren turned. He felt like he was walking through led as he made his way over to Joseph. His mask still glued in place, he turned his gaze up and met the glaciers the other man called eyes. He smiled.

"Pastor Leonhart, would you mind if I spoke with you for a moment?" Eren was stunned his voice came out as smooth as it had.

"Certainly, my boy," Joseph said, patting Eren on the shoulder, before gesturing him out of the room. Eren numbly followed, his shoulder itching where the Pastor had touched him.

They walked down a hall, stopping far out of reach of prying eyes and ears. Joseph turned to regard the young lawyer, a smile that looked fake resting on his lips. Eren had absolutely no respect for this man of God. If he could, he'd never lay eyes on him ever again. The Pastor made him feel physically ill, the mix of negative emotions battling in his chest making his stomach churn.  _Hold it back,_  he told himself on repeat. He took a deep breath when Mr. Leonhart asked him what he'd wanted to talk about. He had no choice. There was no backing out of this.

"Would you give me your permission to ask for Annie's hand in marriage, sir?" He bowed his head respectfully, making sure to stand tall and straight. "I love your daughter, and I deeply respect you, sir." The lie oozed from his lips, tainting his mouth with bile. "I want nothing more than to make her happy."

He didn't dare look up as the silence stretched on while Pastor Leonhart assessed him. His anxiety was growing worse, to the point that he no longer felt like a person. Joseph was going to refuse and reject him, he was sure. He was going to have to turn tail and report back to his father and disappoint him. He was going to have to face the wrath of his parents. He'd rather be dead.

"Eren, of course you have my permission. You're going to make my Annie an honest woman," Joseph said jovially, his wretched hand once again finding the lawyer's shoulder. "I couldn't ask for a better son-in-law."

"Thank you so much, sir." Eren felt stiff, robotic. His voice came out mechanically, and he was surprised that the other man hadn't caught on to his act. Now all he had to do was escape.

The Pastor walked him back to the front door, going on and on about how happy he was that Eren was finally maturing as a young man. His hand remained on his shoulder, and the lawyer wanted to rip it off of him. He felt disgusting, sickened, distraught. He barely remembered to press a light kiss to Annie's cheek at the door when they were exchanging goodbyes. He didn't recall the ride home. All he knew was that he relayed the approval from the Pastor to his father when he'd been stopped at the door on the way into the house. His feet slowly carried him up the stairs and into his old room, feeling like he was trudging through molasses.

His door shutting firmly echoed around the walls, bringing him back to himself. He was finally alone. His fingers shakily locked the door, and he tripped over his own feet in his haste to rush into the bathroom. Without bothering to turn on the light, he stumbled over to the toilet and vomited violently, expelling all of Sofia Leonhart's cooking. He puked until his vision blurred and he couldn't breath, hacking and gagging with nothing coming out. He gasped for air every time his stomach convulsed, sending him into round after round of dry heaving. There were sure to be burst blood vessels in his skin. Peeling off his suit with trembling fingers, Eren sat naked on the bathroom floor in the dark, flushing the evidence away in the toilet. He wiped his face on his dress shirt, uncaring that he'd have to throw it away. He sat there, reliving the dinner he'd just endured, until he couldn't take it anymore. He crawled into his room and over to his suitcase, struggling to unzip it. His fingers shook so hard that he had trouble getting a grasp on the zipper, but when he finally managed to get it undone, he threw the lid open and dug through his clothing.

At the bottom of the suitcase sat the stuffed dog that Levi had given him, and he clutched it against himself, pressing it into his chest. Eren found the strength to rip a blanket off of the bed, standing on unsteady feet. He padded back into the bathroom to fetch his phone from the pocket of his trousers, and then moved back out into the room. Collapsing onto his knees, no longer able to support his own weight, he shuffled into his closet, pulling the door shut behind him.

Eren curled up in the corner of the closet, wrapping the blanket around himself, and held tightly onto the stuffed animal. He pressed the home button and made his screen light up, unlocking it after three failed attempts to get his password correct. His mind was a jumbled mess, his body feeling numb. He could feel his heart, pounding so intensely that it throbbed in his limbs. It wasn't racing anymore, just beating painfully against his ribcage. Thumb swiping through contacts, he selected a familiar number and hit call. It took the last of his energy to bring it up to his ear. He numbly listened to it ringing, waiting,  _hoping_  that he would answer.

He got his wish three rings later.  _"Eren?"_  The singer's voice was a fucking blessing on his ears, and he could have wept with relief.

His bottom lip trembled as he opened his mouth to speak. "Levi," he whispered hoarsely, his throat raw from vomiting, feeling like he'd been screaming at the top of his lungs.

 _"Eren. What's wrong?"_  The alarm and concern in Levi's voice made the brunet's heart wrench, and he sucked in a painful breath, screwing up his face in agony. He could hear a woman's voice asking what was going on, the raven-haired man shushing them, and then the sound of movement and a door shutting.  _"Talk to me, Eren. I'm here."_

"I— _can't_ ," his voice broke, tears spilling from his eyes and down his cheeks, and he hiccuped, breath catching in his throat. Utter frustration poured from him, and he sobbed openly in Levi's ear, the dam crumbling. The stress and anxiety was too much for him to handle. "They're so fucking t-terrible. I ha-hate this."

 _"It's okay, Bright Eyes. Tell me what happened,"_  Levi soothed, his voice so full of compassion that it made Eren sob harder.

The brunet tried to organize his thoughts into something cohesive, his mind scattered as his body shook with the force of his crying. Words flooded past his lips, in bits and pieces, painting a picture. He talked, stuttering over his words, whimpering all the while. His face was streaked in tears, some drying, others carving new paths down his cheeks. He unloaded the entire night brokenly, letting Levi past one of his walls. He couldn't hold it in anymore. He couldn't handle the stress on his own. No other person in the world knew what he was going through, and he  _needed_  Levi. He needed his counterpart's support. He needed help. Eren told the singer about the conversion therapy clinic, how his parents ate that shit up, how they hated gays. He ranted about the pressures put on him to be the perfect son, how he couldn't disobey them, how he was scared to. He cried about how he hated church and his Pastor, and how he didn't even fucking believe in God, especially not the one his parents worshiped. He whispered about how he couldn't even stomach the thought about being related to the Leonhart's through marriage. He choked out that his life wasn't his to control. He spilled as much as he could, his past still locked up tight, refusing to come to light.

"I can't fucking stand this, this place," Eren whimpered, rubbing his cheek against the soft fur of his stuffed animal, hiccuping and trying to regulate his breathing. "They expect so much out of me it's exhausting. And-and I can't  _stand_ their views. It sickens me. I  _hate_  it. I hate this, Levi."

The other man had listened dutifully on the other line, there to murmur encouragement or comfort when Eren felt like he couldn't go on. He stayed silent for a few moments, as if processing the baggage that had been unloaded onto him.  _"Do you want me to come get you? I'll come right now, Eren. You don't have to fucking be there."_

Warmth spread in the wasteland that was Eren's chest, filling it with blooming flowers and a lightness he hadn't felt in this house, ever. He wiped at his eyes, sniffling and keeping his voice low. "No, no you can't. I have to stay, or else I'll have hell to pay. But...  _thank you._ " The gratitude in his words was palpable, and he rubbed his nose against his blanket. "Please, just, stay in the call with me?"  _Don't leave,_  he thought desperately, clinging onto the gift from the singer.

 _"Of course, brat. I'm always here. And if you ever need me to come get you, from anywhere, at any time, I'll be there. Got it?"_ Eren could tell that Levi meant every word, and his cheeks flushed pleasantly, his body finally calming down and exhaustion blanketing over him.

"Got it," he confirmed with a yawn, settling back into the wall. He grumbled in discomfort, grudgingly climbing to his feet and leaving the closet. He trudged over to his bed and flopped down, curling up in the sheets. He yawned again, rubbing at his dry eyes.

The singer chuckled, the static on the line suggesting he was settling in, and he let out a soft sigh.  _"Try and sleep. I'm right here, Bright Eyes."_

"I don't know if I can," the brunet whispered, his heart still pumping anxiety through his veins. He worried that maybe locking himself in the closet wasn't enough. What if his parents had heard him?

 _Shh, calm down,"_  Levi soothed, then grunted.  _"You tell anyone I did this, and I'll murder you,"_  he grumbled. Eren made a sound of confusion, but it cut off when his counterpart's voice came through the receiver. He sucked in a breath and went still, eyes wide. Levi was  _singing_. His voice was soft and breathy, and so very soothing. The lawyer didn't know what song he was singing, but it relaxed him. His eyelids drooped, and he yawned again, snuggling into his pillow and pressing the stuffed dog's head right up under his chin. Levi kept singing softly, and Eren had no idea how long he did so, because the next thing he knew, he was deeply asleep, and dreaming of the raven-haired man.

* * *

The sound of flesh pounding on wood was growing louder, and Eren groaned, clenching his eyes shut tightly. He didn't want to be awake, he wanted to keep dreaming. His head felt like it was splitting open, and confusion made him crack his eyes open. He blearily looked around his surroundings, slowly realising he was in his old room. That's right, he wasn't drunk. He was at his parents' house for Christmas, and he'd cried himself into dehydration. That explained the throbbing migraine. With a sigh, he peeled himself out of bed, yawning into his fist.

"'M up," he muttered at the door, and the knocking finally stopped. His brain was thankful. Eren lumbered over to his suitcase, stuffing the German Shepherd back into its hiding spot, before he grabbed onto a random set of pajamas.

"Hurry up, dear," his mother called through the door, before her footsteps faded off down the hall.

Sighing, the brunet yanked his clothes on, rubbing the sleep from his eyes. His left eye ached and he winced, and it dawned on him that he'd slept with his contact in. Muttering expletives under his breath, he marched into the bathroom and stared into the mirror. He pinched the film out of his eye and dropped it absentmindedly into the trash. It was time to get this Christmas over with. He padded out of his room, raking a hand through his hair, and made his way down the stairs. His family was all in the den, Isabel sitting on the floor with her knees pulled up to her chest. Her vibrant red hair was wild, just as terrible as Eren's own bedhead, and he plopped down next to her. Grisha sat in his chair, and Carla was on the loveseat, her robe wrapped tightly around her body. She passed out the presents, of which there weren't many, and the two siblings got to opening them dutifully.

Unsurprisingly, neither of them got a single thing that they wanted or were even mildly interested in. Izzy got a collection of baby pink dresses and pastel skirts, blouses, and high heels. Carla spent the entire time her daughter was unwrapping her gifts lecturing her on being more lady-like, even going so far as to sigh,  _'I wish you were more like Annie. She would be a wonderful, obedient daughter.'_  Eren didn't even get what you could call "gifts." The brunet was given a collection of pamphlets for wedding venues, catalogs for wedding rings and tuxedos, and a lecture from  _both_  parents on how he needed to hurry and propose to Annie. They essentially sat there for thirty minutes telling him not to fuck this up for them. Eren and Izzy sat there, nodding along, exchanging sneaky glances of distaste.

What a wonderful fucking Christmas  _this_  was. At least Eren had survived it, and soon enough, New Year's Eve would be here. He was fucking  _done_  with this bullshit holiday, and couldn't wait to escape to his own home away from his parents. All the lawyer wanted to do was curl up and have a movie night with Levi. He missed the other man greatly, and was counting the minutes until the New Year's party arrived.

Happy fucking holidays.

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> Welllllll, that was it. I looked it up and couldn't find a first name anywhere for Annie's father, so I just decided to pick from a list of French names for both of her parents. I hope this was insightful for you, it lets you into Eren's world a little more. Hopefully you don't hate me too much... Do you guys have specific Christmas traditions that you do with your families every year?  
> What are your thoughts on this chapter? What do you think of Annie's and Eren's respective families? Did you enjoy the pictures from Levi? What was your favorite part? What are your predictions for the future? I want to hear all your thoughts, babes, so please do leave comments below! I respond to them all, I love conversing with my dear readers. That's it for tonight, I need to fucking crash, because I'm exhausted. Look forward to the next chapter, this week is a double update week! WOO!  
> ALSO: According to the little poll I did last chapter, many of you are perfectly okay with me featuring my art within this story. SO, I've decided that I will be doing that! When? Who knows!~ Until the next chapter (which will be before the weekend comes), all the love!


	14. Another Tree Bites The Dust

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> I have worked SO HARD to get this done and I am so fucking proud. I had so much fun writing this chapter, honestly. A ton of fun. ALSO it felt SO MUCH FUCKING LONGER THAN IT IS. I mean, it IS long, just not as long as I felt like it was.  
> Fun fact: when I'm writing in my doc, I put in breaks as stupid shit like '--BREAK--" or whatever filler I want so that I can find it easily to replace, and in the last break of this chapter I was screaming about how fucking long it felt. SO, without further ado, THE ACKERMAN CHRISTMAS, everyone. Please enjoy! Apologies for any errors, grammatical or otherwise.

Levi had two options: both of them were grave mistakes, but one was less likely to lead to his untimely death. Unfortunately for him, while the first option would certainly kill him, the second and far-safer option was going to make him want to blow his own brains out in annoyance. Both options thoroughly sucked donkey dick. Either he let Hange drive them to Sina in the snow, running the risk of actually dying, since she had a lead foot and an inability to drive in the snow. Or, he was going to drive them, and be forced to listen to Hange screaming along to Christmas carols while she controlled the radio until  _he_  wanted to swerve off the road and kill them both. Really, there was no winning, so with a resigned sigh, he gripped onto his overnight bag and snagged his keys.

"We're taking my car; I'm driving," he called over his shoulder to his roommate, bracing himself.

Hange let out a screech of a cheer, sounding more pterodactyl than human, and launched herself onto his back. Her arms wrapped tightly around his neck, and she continued yelling her excitement right in his ear, causing him to wince.

"Jesus  _fuck,_  will you get the fuck off of me?! Do you realise you out-fucking-size me, you banshee?" The singer tried to shove her off, one of his hands trying and failing to peel her arms away from his throat. "You're gonna make me go deaf!"

Hange cackled like a witch, planting a sloppy kiss on his cheek before finally releasing him. She burst forward to snatch up her suitcase and barreled out of the apartment. Levi shook his head, watching after her with affection in his eyes. He was glad to see that his best friend was still acting just like her normal annoying self. This trip back home was going to be good for the both of them, even if it was hard on her at first. Going back to Sina was always painful for Hange, even if she did her best not to show it, so Levi was going to make damn sure to make this as fun for her as possible. Snagging one of his specialty pillows off of the couch, the musician shouldered his bag and strode after the woman, making sure to shut and lock the door to the apartment. He descended the stairs and made for his car, unlocking it with the fob before he'd reached it so that Hange could pop the trunk and throw in her travel bag.

Levi placed his bag with care in the trunk and pulled it shut, rounding the car to the driver's side. He slid in and started the car, shivering from the cold. Tightening Eren's scarf around his neck, he hid a small smile within the fabric, taking a deep breath and inhaling the lawyer's scent. He rested his pillow on his lap, buckling his seatbelt. Hange climbed into the passenger seat, bouncing in her excitement, and squealing about how excited she was. The singer yelled at her to buckle her damn seatbelt, and when she finally conceded, he put the car in drive and carefully eased his way out of the parking lot. It was still pretty early in the morning, so there wasn't much traffic to worry about.

The roommates had wanted to leave the night before, but there had been a severe storm warning in Sina, so his mother had called and told them to stay put until morning, when the weather advisory passed. Levi had been up since 4 in the morning, monitoring the weather and waiting for the warning to be lifted. He was determined not to let some shitty fucking snow stop him from going home; he'd promised his sister that he'd be there, and hell or high water, he was keeping it. Once it had been deemed safe, he'd gone to Hange's room to wake her up and get her ready. It didn't take much prompting, because once she'd remembered what their plans were, she was up and bounding around her room with endless energy.

Levi turned off onto the highway, making sure to be aware of the few other cars around them. He wasn't worried about his own driving abilities like he was with Hange, but he didn't fucking trust any of the asshats plowing by his vehicle. If he'd learned anything in his 34 years of life, it was that people were self-absorbed, and they were more likely to be paying attention to themselves rather than what was going on around them. Unobservant, obtuse mouthbreathers operating fiberglass deathtraps that weighed thousands of pounds and icy asphalt with snow billowing down from the heavens in blindingly large flakes was a recipe for disaster in the form of a ten-car pileup.

Hange started fiddling with the radio, finding a station that was playing only Christmas music. She turned it up as high as Levi would allow, belting out the lyrics and bouncing in her seat. The singer made sure to keep his eyes glued the road, both hands on the steering wheel. His mind wandered while they drove, wondering what Eren was up to and how his day was going. There wasn't a snowball's chance in hell that he was going to risk their lives to text the lawyer, and he'd rather shove a cactus up his ass than ask Hange to text him, so he was left with waiting until they arrived at his mother's house. His gaze was laser-focused, checking around him cautiously to make sure no one was driving like a fucking idiot, but his mind kept going back to the brunet's cheeky smirk, his adorable dimple, the way his jewel-like irises lit up when Levi made him laugh. New Year's felt like it couldn't come fast enough, even though he was excited to see his family. He missed the damn brat, regardless of having seen him only a few days ago.

They drove for a couple of hours, making a pitstop at one of the exits so Hange could piss and they could get snacks. His roommate got Swedish Fish, Twizzlers, and a redbull, and he picked up a bottle of green tea and a bag of mixed nuts. The bassist couldn't help but make a joke about hoping that Eren didn't have a nut allergy, earning herself a smack to the back of the head. Levi fueled up, and they were back on the highway in record time. The snacks kept Hange quiet for a while; she mostly hummed along to the songs playing while stuffing her face full of fish-shaped candy.

The singer was not a fan of Christmas music, at fucking all. Everything was overplayed, and nobody seemed to give a shit that Thanksgiving was a thing. Stores, radio stations, the idiot masses, all started playing the shit the day after Halloween. It was fucking stupid. Hange, however,  _loved_  Christmas music. She respected Levi's distaste and his opinion that people should at least wait for Thanksgiving to be over before they started blasting it, but once December hit, it was free game. And currently, it wasn't something he wanted to take from his best friend. It kept her in high spirits, and he would never admit this, not even on his deathbed, but it made him happy to hear her singing along off-key to the festive songs. She knew every single one by heart. Levi was very aware that her love of Christmas music had come from her parents.

With about an hour and a half left until they reached their destination, Hange was getting a little more subdued. As the signs passed, stating the miles left until Sina, his bandmate would sing along a little more softly, until she was no longer singing, just staring intently out the window, lost in her thoughts. When another sign passed, boldly declaring that they were 34 miles away from Sina, Levi decided to try and pep Hange back up. He reached a hand down and dug into the Twizzler bag, pulling one of the vines out. The singer smacked his bandmate in the face with it, making her jerk and snap her head around to face him. A grin broke out across her lips, and she bit the Twizzler out of his grip, chomping it down loudly. She started pelting him with Swedish Fish, cackling when he cursed her name.

"You're gonna be cleaning this shit out of my car," he warned, scowling at the road, but inwardly, relief washed over him.

Hange picked up one of the licorice vines and prodded at Levi's lips, cooing at him. "Open wiiiide! Here comes the train! Let the plane land, grumpy! You know you want to," she sing-songed, dragging it back and forth over his mouth.

Rolling his eyes, Levi obliged her, parting his lips. She jammed it back against his throat and he coughed, shooting a murderous glare at her. He bit into the Twizzler and chewed it viciously, turning his eyes back onto the road.

"I thought you didn't have a gag reflex?" Hange drawled, a shit-eating grin on her lips, and she snickered, winking at him.

"That only applies to cock-sucking," Levi huffed, swallowing down the candy. "Not to your roommate shoving candy down your throat."

"So if I shoved a cock down your throat, it would've been fine?"

"...You don't have a cock."

"How do you know?"

"Shitty glasses, I've seen you naked at a fucking frat party. I  _know_  there's no dick dangling between your legs."

"...And if it's  _not_  in between my legs?"

Levi paused, flickering his eyes warily over at his bandmate. He narrowed his gaze, pinning her to her spot with a venomous glare. Baring his teeth, he growled out a low warning. "I swear to fuck, I  _will_  swerve us into a tree if you pull out a dildo."

"You wouldn't do that! You love me," Hange sang, leaning over to leech her body onto his in a tight hug. "Don't worry, I haven't managed to get a mold of Eren's cock yet, so I won't subject you to that."

"You're psychotic, you know that?" Levi asked incredulously, trying very hard  _not_  to think about Eren's dick.

"I prefer the term  _inventive,_  or maybe even  _innovative genius._ "

"Yeah, and I have a tramp stamp that says 'enter' with an arrow pointing at my asshole," the singer drawled sarcastically, trying to shove Hange off of him with one arm. "Now get off me unless you  _actually_  want to die."

* * *

Levi pulled up against the curb outside of his mother's house, turning the car off. Hange didn't even wait for the vehicle to be stopped; she'd flung her seatbelt off and jumped from the car, sprinting up to the door with a loud  _whoop_. Rolling his eyes with a long-suffering sigh, the singer climbed out of the car with his pillow, shutting the door and moving to the trunk. He slung his bag over his shoulder and gripped onto the handle of Hange's suitcase, lifting it free. After he shut the trunk, he dragged the travel case behind him on its wheels, heading up to the front door. His bandmate had completely disregarded normal human decency and barged her way into the home, screeching that she'd arrived. Levi followed her in, abandoning her suitcase by the door after he'd shut it.

Wandering deeper into the home, he sighed into the warmth, feeling the chill from outside melting. Thank fuck for fireplaces. His mother accepted a violent-looking hug from Hange, letting the crazy woman lift her off of her feet and spin her around in excitement.

Kuchel laughed softly, her delicate throaty voice full of affection. "I've missed you too, Hange. Where's Levi?"

"I'm right here, mom," he answered before his roommate could, setting down his own bag in preparation.

Hange released her hold on Kuchel and sprinted deeper into the house, shouting for Mikasa and Kenny. Levi walked up to his mom and wrapped her in a hug. She was a very short woman, but she still had a few inches on him, something that no one ever let him live down. Kissing her cheek, he let Kuchel ruffle his hair lovingly, her fingers tugging on a wavy lock.

"It's so good to have you home, baby," she cooed, pulling back from the hug to look at his face, a small smile lighting up her expression. "You haven't gotten your hair straightened again?"

Flushing, Levi looked everywhere but at his mother, clearing his throat as he shifted from foot to foot. Refusing to meet her eyes, he shrugged his shoulders nonchalantly and kept his voice even. "Haven't had time to. I missed you, maman."

"Mon petit bébé," Kuchel murmured, pulling Levi back in for a hug and squeezing him tightly. "I've missed you so." They held one another for a few moments longer, before his mother sighed happily and drew back, looking him up and down. "You need to eat more, you're nothing but bones."

Levi rolled his eyes, groaning.  _"Maman,_  I eat."

"Not enough," she chided, wagging her finger at him. "Come, your sister and uncle are waiting to see you."

Grumbling to himself that Eren was too much like his mother when it came to food, he trudged after the willowy woman and into the family room. Mikasa was sitting by the fireplace, her legs curled up to the side of her while she watched with amusement as Hange squeezed the life out of Kenny. As soon as she spotted her brother, she was up onto her feet and striding toward him with a purpose. She towered over him, having been blessed with their father's height, and glared down at him accusingly. It was really unfair that in the entire Ackerman line, only he and his mother had been cursed with a short stature.

"Still a midget, I see," Mikasa said coolly, tilting her nose up into the air and waiting to see what her brother's reaction would be.

He scowled, crossing his arms and raising a brow at her. "I'd rather be short than be a fuckin' tree," he drawled, staring up at her challenging expression.

Mikasa punched him in the arm, then threw her arms around him in a hug, which Levi returned easily. "Missed you, runt."

"I hope you cut back on the milk, brat. Any taller and I won't be able to hug you without you crouching." That earned him another punch, this one to the gut, and he grunted, wincing slightly. "I missed you too, you fuckin' shit."

"Come home more often? Maman misses you a lot," she murmured softly, so that only he could hear.

Levi tightened his hold on his sister, guilt once again welling in his chest. He really needed to keep in touch with his family more. Especially when he could tell that his sister was using their mother as a cover for her own feelings. He was a shit son, brother, and nephew.

Drawing back, he reached up and messed up his sister's hair, earning an angry scoff. "You got it, brat."

"Leeeevi!" The siblings turned to the source of the loud shout, seeing that Kenny had finally escaped from Hange's evil clutches and was stumbling his way over. "It's been a long time, kid."

"Not long enough, Uncle Kenny," he jested, smirking salaciously.

"You've always been a brat," Kenny slurred, coming to a stop a few feet away to steady himself. "Made some eggnog. Drink up, get some hair on that chest."

His uncle pushed a glass full of the homemade eggnog into Levi's hands, using the wall to hold himself up. The singer shook his head with a sigh, bringing the cup up to his lips and taking a drink. Now, Levi was no lightweight. He drank hard liquor straight, and never with a chaser. He could drink men bigger than him under a table any day. But the concoction that his uncle had handed him tasted of straight up  _burning._

Coughing and hacking, Levi covered his mouth with his free hand, glaring distrustfully at the eggnog. Once he got himself under control, he swallowed a few times and winced at the residual sting coating his tongue and esophagus. "Jesus  _fuck_ , did you pour in the whole bottle?! You put enough rum in this to kill a fucking pirate."

Kenny laughed boisterously, throwing his head back and nearly toppling over. He wobbled until he straightened himself back out, and levelled Levi with a glassy stare, his brow raising. "What's eggnog without rum?"

"Palatable," the singer spat immediately with a sneer, his nose wrinkling. He stormed into the kitchen, dumping the horrible shit out in the sink. Spotting an empty bottle on the counter lying on its side, Levi curiously picked it up, turning it in his hand to get a look at the label. His eyes widened and he cursed loudly, keeping his grip on it as he marched right back into the family room. "Well of course it tastes like Satan's fiery piss! You used River Antoine Royal Grenadian Rum! This shit's 155 proof and is like drinking lighter fluid. What the fuck, Kenny?"

"Thass'the good shit, kid," Kenny slurred heavily, curling his lip back. "A brat like you wouldn't know the diff'rence b'tween good liquor and gasoline. In my day—"

"All right, Kenny, that's enough! I'm cutting you off for now," Kuchel announced, rounding on her older brother with a scolding expression pinching her lips. "You've had enough."

"But, Kuchel—"

" _Non,_  Kenny. No buts. Don't you argue with me!"

Levi watched the exchange between his mother and uncle with amusement, shaking his head in disbelief. 50 and 57 respectively, and they still fought like children. He guessed it was the result of them being close for their entire lives. When Kuchel got pregnant at 16, and their parents kicked her out, Kenny took her in and helped her out. She never got married to Mikasa and Levi's father, but they'd lived together in Kenny's rundown duplex with him. Once she'd given birth to Mikasa, their father had split, and they hadn't seen the man since. Their uncle had helped their mother raise them, so they all felt very indebted to the belligerently drunk man. It was why, when Levi had started making more money than he knew what to do with, he bought his uncle a home. He owed Kenny for being there for Kuchel when the rest of the family had turned their back on her, and for letting her make her own decisions. Levi wouldn't even be alive his his grandparents had had their way, forcing an abortion onto her.

When Kuchel refused, saying that she was going to take responsibility for her baby, they dropped her, disowned her, and wished her luck on her own. Kenny wasn't going to have that for his little sister. Sure, he didn't have much money, and his home was very decrepit, but it was better than nothing. Together, the siblings did their best to make the best lives for Levi and Mikasa. They pushed him to get into college so that he could have a future. And when No Name took off, he made sure to do the same with his sister. They all lived comfortably now, and he was grateful that he could help give that to them. He saw it as thanks for bending over backwards to make sure he had a good life. Neither his mother or uncle had seen their parents since, though he had heard that they'd passed away from illness.

"There's alcohol-free eggnog in the fridge. I made it," Mikasa spoke up at his side, making him start and pulling him out of his thoughts.

"Thank fuck," he muttered.

"Mikasa! Levi! Hange! It's time to decorate the Christmas tree. Come, come," Kuchel called, moving over to sit in front of an abundance of boxes. Kenny made to move, but his sister made a threatening sound in the back of her throat, glaring at him. "Not you, Kenny! Remember what you did to my poor tree  _last year?_  I won't be having a repeat. Keep your drunken ass away!"

* * *

They'd been decorating the tree for at least two hours now, and Levi needed a fucking break. There was only so much he could take of trying to prevent Hange from accidentally maiming herself—or others—and he was fucking done. His roommate could be such a damn handful, so he was leaving it to his mother and sister for a while. He excused himself and stepped out onto the back porch, tapping a cigarette out of his pack. Placing it between his teeth, he leaned back against the wall and lit up. Inhaling deeply, he breathed the smoke out through his nose and relaxed. He was still wearing Eren's scarf, and he pulled it tighter around his neck, clinging onto it with his free hand.

He wondered what Eren was up to right now. Maybe he was still at that godforsaken service, considering he'd mentioned it was part of his family traditions. Levi was curious about what other traditions the Jaeger's had. His family's were pretty cut and dry: decorate the tree together on the 24th, drink eggnog, have an ugly Christmas sweater contest. Watch Kenny get plastered and be unable to stop him from inevitably destroying the tree. He'd never tell his mother, but he had a running bet with Mikasa. They placed bets on how long until the tree got decemated, how it would happen, and how angry Kuchel would get. Last year, their mother had warily let Kenny help with the decorating. He'd gotten so drunk that he tried to fight the tree, insisting it was insulting him, and sent it flying through the porch window. Kuchel had yelled at him for  _hours_ , switching back and forth between French and English.

Chuckling to himself, Levi took slow drags off of his cigarette until it was down to the butt. He smashed it out on the heel of his boot and looked out over the snow-covered backyard. He didn't know what it was like for Eren to spend the holidays with his family, but he really wanted to share the Ackerman Christmas experience with the lawyer. He was willing to bet the brunet would have so much fun here. His mother would absolutely fall in love with Eren, he just knew it. Levi even had the feeling that Mikasa would take a liking to him as well. That was just so  _Eren_. He was such a likeable brat; sarcastic, charming, and a fucking riot. Levi felt warm just thinking about him.

"You look like you're in love, mon petit bébé," Kuchel murmured, sending a shock coursing through the singer and making him jump a foot in the air.

Levi pressed a hand over his heart, trying to stop it from attempting to make a break for it, and turned a wide eyed look onto his mother. "Don't fucking  _do that_ , maman. You nearly scared the shit outta me."

"I came to get you, we're almost done. But you're changing the subject," she singsonged, leaning up on the wall next to him and giving him a knowing smirk. "You have the look of a man in love."

"I don't know what you're talking about," he muttered, turning away to glare at the snow. "I'm not in love with anyone."

"You can't keep secrets from me, mon amour. A mother always knows." Kuchel reached over to ruffle his hair, before her hands grasped onto the scarf, adjusting it with care. "This is new," she hummed thoughtfully. "I thought you didn't wear scarves, baby?"

 _"Maman,_  you are prying." Levi placed his hands over hers and gently removed them, clinging onto the scarf and holding the ends of it to his chest. "It's nothing. It's just a scarf. And I'm not in love." He grumbled to himself, scowling as he stared down at the soft fabric. "Sometimes I wear scarves."

"Touchy touchy boy," she sang, turning away from him with a giggle, throwing a wicked smile over her shoulder. "So defensive. You'll hurt your poor maman."

"Tch. I'm not defensive."

"Of course, mon petit bébé. I believe you." Kuchel's tone of voice relayed that she didn't fucking believe him  _at all_ , so he merely grunted, lips pressed into a thin line. He knew better than to argue with the women in his life; he'd always lose. That proved true just as much with Hange as it did his sister and mother. The Ackerman women were a force to be reckoned with, and his roommate was basically an honorary member of their family, the way Kuchel loved her like a daughter. He knew better, and yet he still always tried to argue with them. It was better to let them think they were right, even if they were wrong.

Eren was just a very important friend to him, that was all. Levi liked the brat, sure. But love? That would never happen. Eren was unavailable, and Levi was not a glutton for punishment.

He let his mother lead him inside, and she went right back over to the tree. Levi peeked his head around the wall, noting that Hange had gotten bored with decorating and was currently digging through his mother's collection of CDs.  _Great, more Christmas music,_  he thought with in internal sigh, turning into the kitchen. He'd been dying for some eggnog since Mikasa had mentioned she'd made some that wasn't spiked with pure fucking ethanol. Levi opened the fridge, looking between the two pitchers with apprehension. He wasn't sure which was which, and he liked his liver far too much to risk accidentally getting another mouthful of Kenny's concoction. He grabbed onto the handles of both and carefully sniffed them one after the other, jerking back when the scent of strong alcohol made his eyes water. So the second one was the one he definitely did  _not_  want anywhere near his person. He shoved it back into the refrigerator and moved over to the counter, setting Mikasa's homemade eggnog down.

Levi stood on his tiptoes to reach the mugs, cursing his height and the two tall fucks that lived in this house. Once he'd secured one, he released a relieved breath, glad he hadn't had to climb onto the damn counter. He was too fucking old for that shit. He quickly poured himself a cup, cursing when his mother called his name and started swearing at him in French.

"I'm coming, maman! Hold your fucking horses!" He yelled from the kitchen, shoving the pitcher in the fridge and snatching his mug up, taking a large drink.

He stomped out into the living room, curling up on one of the chairs, his legs folding beneath him. He watched his mother and sister adding some finishing touches, and Kuchel turned to give him a disapproving look.

"Did you forget your job? I need you taking pictures, baby. Hurry it up," his mother demanded, and with a sigh, he set his mug down.

Levi removed his phone from his ass pocket as he stood, sliding it to life and selecting the camera. He moved to get a better angle of them, taking pictures of Mikasa and their mother absolutely absorbed in placing baubles on the tree. They were having a murmured disagreement about what should go where when Kenny burst out of the downstairs bathroom. Levi snapped a few pictures of his uncle stumbling into the room. Instantly, Mikasa got to her feet, an antsy expression on her face. Kuchel continued decorating now that her daughter was distracted, placing things where she deemed they looked the best.

"Come on, Uncle, let's get you to the couch," Mikasa said soothingly, putting out both her arms towards him as he swayed and walked with a weird limp.

"I don' need yer help, kid," Kenny grumbled gruffly, hiccuping as he made his slow journey deeper into the room.

Mikasa ignored his words, stepping close to him and put her hand on his arm. "Let me help," she insisted firmly, and their uncle scoffed loudly.

Levi continued to take pictures, a smirk curling his lips that he hid behind his phone. This was family fucking  _gold_  right here. Who needed cable with this kind of entertainment. He watched his mother stand up to turn and start yelling at Kenny, her lips curled down into a scowl, and the drunken man swatted his niece away like a fly.

"Kenny Ackerman, you let Mikasa help you  _right now_ , or so help me," Kuchel trailed off threateningly, her hands resting on her hips.

"I said I  _don' need help_ ," the older man slurred angrily, turning to argue with his sister.

Unfortunately, his balance was considerably off, being that he was nearly blackout drunk. He tripped over his own feet when he turned and went flying forward, unable to catch his balance. Levi's eyes widened, and he snapped pictures at a rapid pace, capturing the moment that matching looks of horror spread out over his sister and mother's faces, and the way they both reached helplessly towards Kenny.

 _"No, my tree!"_  Kuchel wailed as her brother slammed into it head first with a grunt. He knocked it onto its side with a loud, startling crack.

Kenny turned and twisted, his feet sticking straight out of the branches. "Ah,  _shit!_ Fuckin' help me, you brats! I've got pine needles up my ass!"

Hange burst out into a peal of hyena laughter, collapsing on the floor by the stereo. Her face grew redder than a tomato, and she clutched at her sides, tears streaming down her face. It looked like she was constipated or in severe pain and couldn't get enough air, she was laughing so hard. "I'm g-gonna pee," she whimpered to herself, curling up in a ball as she wheezed. She whined loudly, laughter still hiccuping past her lips. Levi was chuckling to himself, watching his mother rip the slipper off of Kenny's foot and beat him with it. His phone buzzed, and he looked down, seeing a text message from Eren.

He opened the app and pulled up the image he was sent, snorting with a sudden, loud laugh. He covered his mouth with one hand as he stared at the ugly angle he'd gotten sent, feeling utterly warm inside. Even when he looked like a fucking idiot, Eren was terribly endearing. He read the message that captioned the image and raised his brow.  _He wants amusement, does he?_  Levi took one look at Mikasa trying to get their uncle out of the tree, his mother incessantly wailing on him and preventing any aid, and Hange dying of laughter on the floor.  _He's gonna get it._

Going through his gallery, he selected four of the pictures that he felt told the story the best, sending them in tandem.

 _"Levi!"_  Mikasa growled out, throwing an exasperated look at her brother. "Will you come fucking help me?!"

Setting his phone down, he walked over and helped his sister pull their uncle free from the tree. Kenny dusted himself off, grumbling about pine needles stuck on his ass. "I'm like a fuckin' porcupine," he grouched, glaring down at the fallen tree.

"I think your dumbass broke it," Levi said, studying the crushed branches.

Kuchel began ranting in French, calling Kenny every single expletive she could think of, still swatting him with his own slipper. After she ran out of steam, she punched him in the chest and wailed. "Every fucking  _year,_  Kenny. I just want one fucking tree!"

Levi moved back over to the table he'd left his phone at, unlocking the screen and seeing he still hadn't gotten a response from Eren. He really hoped he hadn't gotten caught laughing and got his phone confiscated, or some stupid shit like that. Did they do that at church? He shot out an actual text, just as a precaution.  _'I hope that was amusing enough, brat. I don't want you dying on me.'_

He got a response nearly immediately, and relief washed over him.

He had to help his family, though, before he could respond. So he moved over to Hange, making sure she was still breathing and  _hadn't_  actually pissed herself (she hadn't.) Then he walked his uncle up the stairs so he could go shower. Levi marched back downstairs and starting typing out a response to Eren while his mother and sister got to work on setting the tree back up. He sent the message just as his mother let out an irritated hiss. The singer looked up to see that the tree had actually been broken in half, and he rushed forward to send a picture of it to the brat.

Several minutes went by without a response, and then he was made to promise not to send anymore pictures. That was really unfortunate for Eren, in Levi's opinion, because after his uncle returned from his shower, they all put on their ugly Christmas sweaters and compared them. Mikasa was wearing some fucking light-up atrocity with tinsel sown into it. His mother was wearing a little green elf sweater-dress and an elf hat, both of which were decked out in numerous bells. Every time the willowy woman moved, she jingled. Kuchel had forced Kenny into a sweater that had Santa taking a dump down a chimney, and it was fucking hilarious. Even though Levi promised not to send any images, he took plenty of pictures, because once they were in person, the singer wanted to show them all to the lawyer so he didn't miss out.

Hange pulled on her sweater, that she'd refused to let Levi see before they left their apartment, and turned to face him with a smarmy grin.

"Is that a taxidermied stuffed fucking animal head mounted to your tits?" Levi asked, eyes wide and disbelief coloring his voice.

There was a giant stuffed deer head jutting out of her chest with a wreath around it. The nose on the reindeer lit up, and the damn thing even played  _Rudolph the Red-Nosed Reindeer_. Hange was in it to fucking win it this year.

"You bet your ass it is, little grumpy!" Hange danced around, hitting the button to play the song every time it ended, and poor dead Rudolph's nose lit up and flashed in time with the rhythm.

Levi looked down at his own sweater, thinking that he probably could have done better. There was a knit image of Santa with his pants down, and an alien shoving a probe up his ass. The probe lit up with a flashing green light, and he really enjoyed the look of sheer terror on the fat man's face. Still, though, he felt like Hange had him beat. She really got into the ugly sweaters, wanting to come up with the tackiest thing possible.

They took pictures together after declaring Hange the undefeated champion of their ugly Christmas sweater competition once again. Levi threw on a pair of shades and took a selfie with his best friend, who grinned manically into the camera. All in all, it had been a very fun day. Just another Christmas Eve at the Ackerman house. It was wild from start to finish every year, and Levi had so much fucking fun doing dumb shit with his family. Kuchel made them a feast of ham and roast, mashed potatoes, green beans, and every fucking thing they could ever want. She'd baked a pecan pie, and Mikasa had helped out and made a pumpkin pie. Even the whipped cream was homemade. Levi felt like he was eating like a damn king, even when he was full and didn't think he could fit any more food in his mouth. Kuchel wasn't having that, though. She made sure he ate to her specifications, because he was "too skinny", according to her. Levi could have said the same thing about her, since their builds were so similar.

Levi was relaxing in front of the fire with his family. They had already opened their gifts, a standing tradition, since the singer's birthday was the following day, and his mother had never wanted to diminish the importance of his birth. She had her head leaning on his shoulder, humming one of her many favorite French lullabies, and Levi was nursing another eggnog, although his stomach was protesting. His phone buzzed in his pocket, and he'd expected a text message, but when it kept buzzing, he frowned in confusion and tugged the cell out. He looked at the caller ID—for once in his fucking life—and saw  _Bright Eyes_  flashing on the screen.

Without a moment's hesitation, he answered the call. "Eren?"

He could tell something was wrong by the way the brunet said his name.  _"Levi."_  He sounded  _off,_  like he'd been screaming for hours. There was a desperation in his voice that alarmed the singer, and put him on edge.

Still, he tried very hard to keep his tone calm and even. He wanted Eren to feel comfortable, and able to talk to him. "Eren," he repeated, lowering his voice. "What's wrong?"

By now his mother was looking at him strangely, and she lifted her head off of his shoulder, brushing back the silver fringe from her face. "What's going on, mon petit bébé?" But Levi was already getting to his feet, and he shook his head at her, shushing her softly. He covered the transmitter with his hand, whispering that he'd be back later, before he headed up the stairs and to his room.

"Talk to me, Eren. I'm here."

He had not been ready to hear about the absolute fucking shitstorm that his brat had to endure. By the time he'd made it through the events of his night, Levi was feeling sick to his stomach. He sat on his bed, anger burning in his chest, fueled by his absolute concern and care for the lawyer. Who the fuck did these people think they were? How could Eren just let his parents walk all over him like that? What the fuck were they holding over him? The Eren that Levi knew was a strong, insufferable little smart ass. He didn't take shit from  _Levi_ , and the singer was aware of how intimidating he looked. He didn't have a ton of fucking friends because he had a scary face and a  _winning_  personality. So the fact that he was such a different person with the musician and with his family... It really fucking worried Levi. He wanted to  _do_ something about it. He didn't want the brunet to feel like this, like he was trapped with no options.

He knew he couldn't force anything on him, however. Nothing was his decision to make when it came to Eren. He could only offer his thoughts and support. It was up to the lawyer to make his own choices, to take his hands and use the support offered. So he'd asked if his counterpart had wanted to be picked up. Levi would come get him, he had no problems driving all the way back to Trost in the middle of the night to save his brat from whatever fucked up situation he was in. But Eren had said no, and he accepted that. He'd wanted him to stay on the line, and he promised he would.

Levi knew that Eren wasn't okay, even if he wanted to pretend he was. So, he did something that he'd never done for anyone. He did something his mother always did for him and his sister, and he started singing the French lullabies from his childhood. He sang until Eren fell asleep, and long after. He sang until his eyes grew heavy, and he fell asleep curled up on the mattress, listening to the soft sound of the brunet breathing in his ear. He dreamed of jewel-like eyes glittering in the sun, and the sound of beautiful, crystal-clear laughter filling his ears.

* * *

Kuchel ushered Levi to sit in front of the broken Christmas tree. All the shattered baubles had been swept up the other day, so no one ran the risk of being injured. He crossed his legs beneath him and waited patiently as his mother dictated where everyone was to sit around him, and then she rushed off to the kitchen to collect the cake. Kuchel came pattering out, carrying a beautifully made rum cake. Unlike her brother, she knew how to use a moderate amount of alcohol, and her sweets always turned out delicious with the perfect melding of flavors. Candles had been pushed into the cake, something that Levi wouldn't have advised, and his uncle set about lighting them after Kuchel kneeled in front of her son. She held the cake, and cleared her throat, smiling widely as she looked into Levi's eyes. His family burst into song around him, and he felt his cheeks flush a delicate pink. Having his birthday celebrated like this always made him feel embarrassed. He was 35 now, for fuck's sake.

_"Joyeux anniversaire_

_Joyeux anniversaire_

_Joyeux anniversaire Levi_

_Joyeux anniversaire"_

They sang it in in perfect sync, and once they had finished, Levi leaned forward. He sucked in a deep breath, staring at the flickering candles and wondering what he should wish for. An image of a beautifully smile Eren came unbidden to his mind, and he quickly blew out every single candle with care, not dwelling on the sudden appearance of the lawyer in his thoughts. It had been happening with increasing frequency as of late, so it was easier for him to dismiss. Kuchel quickly passed off the cake to Hange, bringing her hands up to cup her son's cheek. She looked breathtaking with happiness curling her lips and lighting her eyes.

"Joyeux anniversaire, mon petit bébé," she cooed, leaning forward to press kisses all over his forehead.

Levi groaned, but allowed her to do so, his cheeks a prety shade of pink.

"Time for presents!" Hange screeched, setting the cake down onto the coffee table to pick up a large box. "Mine first!" She shoved it into Levi's lap once Kuchel had moved away, and she plopped down eagerly next to him, bouncing on her heels.

The singer looked down at the box warily, tugging carefully at the bow. He knew Hange very well. He could argue that he knew her better than he knew himself, because they'd been joined at the hip since childhood. Being that he  _knew_  his bandmate, he was almost afraid to open the box; there could be anything within the gift, literally fucking anything. He very tentatively finished undoing the bow and lifted the lid up slowly. Once it was out of the way, he blanched, his lips curling into a perturbed scowl.

"Are you  _fucking kidding me?_  Hange!" He shouted, lifting a massive black dildo out of the box and chucking it at her head. "You fucking shithead!"

Hange cackled loudly, unable to dodge fast enough, and she got a face full of silicone cock. It left a red impression on her cheek, but she didn't seem to care, laughing so hard she was crying. "T-told you... I had a, a cock," she forced out between laughs, gasping for air.

He grumbled expletives under his breath, knowing he should have fucking expected this when he let a psychopath be his best friend. He turned his gaze back to the contents of the box, feeling satisfaction at having managed to hit Hange with the dildo. There were varying condoms—flavored, glow-in-the-dark, latex-free, unlubricated, you name it—several bottles of lube, an array of vibrators, anal beads, and various sex toy paraphernalia.

"I know this was a gag gift, but I hope you know that these  _will_  be used," he drawled, putting the lid back on the box after placing the dildo inside once more. He wasn't embarrassed in the least, and he didn't know why she kept trying to embarrass him in front of his family. She fucking  _knew_  who his family was, who he was. The only person in his family that looked somewhat mortified was his sister, and that was because she  _so_  did not need to know what Levi did in the privacy of his own bedroom.

"Oh, it's my turn," Kuchel declared, clapping her hands together. He could tell he'd inherited his non-existent wrapping abilities from his mother, because she handed him a gift bag full of tissue paper.

He started pulling it out and grabbed onto a soft, knit fabric. He pulled out a sweater, 3 sizes to big, and he gave a little smile. His collection was continuing to grow, since she made one of these for him every year. This one was a deep burgundy, and it looked very warm.

"I keep hoping you'll grow into them," Kuchel sighed, pressing her knuckles against her cheek and pouting out her bottom lip.

Levi felt his eye twitch, and he levelled her with a stare that threatened to turn murderous. "...I'm 35..."

"A mother can hope, baby," was his mother's response, and she waved off his death glare. Hange choked on her laughter, doubling over on herself.

Mikasa's gift to him for his birthday was a collection of fashionable clothing from the boutique she worked at. It was a pretty androgynous selection—she knew her brother, after all—and he found the romper at the bottom of the box to be really fucking cute. She'd also given him a catalogue so that Erwin and the band could go through it and select new outfits for No Name. Kenny brought out a brand new guitar for him, and it looked pretty fucking sick. He couldn't wait to break it in, but unfortunately, time was running short. They were staying the night with his family again, but they were intending to leave at 4am the next day to make it back home in the afternoon for work. They had to make a few visits, so once they'd had their fill of celebrating his birthday, Levi and Hange got their winter gear on.

Levi wrapped Eren's scarf around his neck and led the way out of the house, lighting up a cigarette while he waited for his best friend. This never got any easier, but he would never back out of this. Hange needed him. They climbed into the car, and drove thirty minutes away. Turning into a gated area, Levi slowed down to a crawl, making his way down a winding path. Once reaching a familiar area, he shut the car off and climbed out. Hange had yet to exit the car, so he made his way around and opened her door, offering her a hand.

"Your mom will be happy to see you, Hange," he said, prompting her into movement. She took his hand and gripped onto a bouquet with the other, finally sliding out of the car. They walked down a path along the grass, stopping when they'd reached what they were looking for.

Hange lowered herself down, crouching in front of a grave. She lifted a gloved hand up to wipe the snow off of the headstone, reading the inscription with a sad smile on her lips. "Hey, mom. I'm here. I didn't forget." She set the bouquet down next to the headstone, resting her chin on her knees. "I've missed you. Grumpy and I are gonna go visit dad after this."

Levi stood back a respectable distance while Hange talked to her mother, and he stared at the headstone with a soft frown. Life really was so unfair; it liked to shit all over the people that already had it bad. He remembered their teen years so clearly. Hange's mother had been diagnosed with an inoperable cancer, and she'd died within 4 months. She'd only been 13, and a lot closer to Mikasa, who was 10. They'd grown up in the same area and got really close, to the point where Kuchel just saw Hange as another daughter. When Hange's mother passed away, her father tried to commit suicide, and had ended up in a vegetative state in the hospital. His mother and Kenny took Hange in because she'd had nowhere else to go, and no one had the heart to take her father off life support. So every year, Levi dutifully took Hange to visit both of her parents, because he knew she didn't have the strength to do it alone.

When Hange was done visiting with her mother, she stood up and brushed the snow out of her hair, turning to Levi with the smallest, saddest smile he'd ever seen on her lips. "I think it's time, Levi."

The singer nodded, and they headed back to his car to drive to the local hospital. When they got there, they made their way to his room, and again, Levi stood back so that Hange could speak with her father. She held his lifeless hand the entire time, tears shimmering in her eyes. After she finished, she stood up, and marched to the doctor's office. She sniffled and rubbed at her nose, explaining to the doctor that she wanted to take her father off of life support.

"16 years is far too long to be stuck like this," she stated, and Levi held her hand tighter. He would support her through this.

Hange didn't want to have a funeral. They had no family to come, and she felt like he'd been gone for such a long time now that it was time to lay him to rest. They pulled the plug after she filled out some forms, and then she made arrangements. She paid for a casket in full, got a hold of a funeral director and discussed which lot she wanted him buried in. They spent the rest of the evening at the Ackerman house with Hange making calls, giving her specifications. Kuchel wrapped her arms around Hange when it was done, holding her while she cried.

"I had to have the strength to do this for him," she whispered, lifting her head up to look at him. "I was being selfish."

"That's normal," he soothed, rubbing at her back soothingly.

She couldn't bear to be here when they buried him next to her mother, so they stuck to their plans and went home to Trost the next day, with promises to visit again soon. Kenny swore to Hange that he'd make sure her arrangements were followed to a T, and she thanked him for always looking after her.

They drove away, feeling bittersweet. This Christmas was full of so many happy memories, and some sad ones, but Levi could tell that Hange was ready to move on from her past. She'd stop clinging to her father's shell, and all she wanted was for her parents to rest peacefully. Of course she'd miss them, but she was strong enough to stand on her own two feet. She didn't want to cling to the memories of them anymore. The next time Hange went to visit them, she would show them how she could keep going on, holding onto the love they had for her. She'd show them she wasn't stagnant in the past any longer.

Levi turned up the Christmas carols, and belted out along with the radio. And Hange smiled, a tear trailing down her cheek. She screamed out the lyrics, her heart feeling lighter than it had in years. She'd done the right thing, and she knew that her mom and dad were watching over her.

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> And that's the end! PLEASE DON'T KILL ME, I KNOW IT ENDS A LITTLE SADLY. BUT. But. Sometimes angst be like that. The majority of it is cheerful (to balance out the last chapter and make their family lives glaringly obviously different). Please give me all of your thoughts. I felt like I was being extra funny this chapter (possibly only to me), and I want to know what you think. Did you enjoy this chapter? I hope you didn't get too sad. I hope this was well-written and easy to follow. Do you guys love Levi's mom?! What about Uncle Kenny? OH AND thoughts on the chapter titles??? Particularly this one? (Let me know if I'm funny or not because I could literally just be funny to me. At least I'm having the time of my life writing this if that's the case.)  
> Please comment below! I respond to all comments! The long ones tend to be my favorite because it opens up conversation, BUT I love all comments and respond to each of them without bias. I'm rambling right now because I'm exhausted and I've spent the better part of 24+ hours composing two chapters. I'm glad I was able to double update! ALL THE LOVE UNTIL NEXT TIME.
> 
> Edit: OH FUCK I FORGOT. I'm sorry to any one that speaks French, I'm not fluent, I used google translate, please don't sue me. Kuchel calls Levi 'my little baby', Levi and Mikasa call her "mom", and they sing "Happy Birthday" in French. Don't @ me, guys, I know I'm lame and shouldn't do language things when I can't speak it but I CAN'T HELP IT. BEAUTIFUL FRENCH BABIES.


	15. Revenge of the Butterflies

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> Well hello babes! It's not been that long but it feels like forever! It took me a while to get this written; I've got carpal tunnel in my right wrist, because I'm primarily right-handed (meaning I write, draw, and cut hair with my right hand and can't with my left, but do literally everything else with my left hand), and I've been overusing it lately. With all the work I've been doing, it's been causing me pain. Luckily I have a brace that I can wear, it just makes writing take annoyingly longer. With that all said, I'm really excited to put this chapter up because it's going to feature my very first artpiece I've done for this fic. I just had to include it, because lovely Aurnya wanted to know how I pictured Levi with wavy hair. I'm really nervous, and I hope it isn't too horrible. I'm not the best artist (I'm not the worst either), and there are many people out there that are more skilled. I really hope you all like it though, I worked hard! I hope you enjoy the read! Apologies for any errors, grammatical or otherwise, this is unbeta'd, and I gave it only a cursory sweep.

Sea glass and molten gold irises stared back at themselves with apprehension through the reflection in the mirror. Anticipation was certainly swirling around in those gemstone depths, but there were many other emotions identifiable within: nervousness, excitement, indecision, and most prominently, apprehension. The 31st had arrived in the blink of an eye after Eren had practically fled his family home. Having to spend a tortuous 48 hours around his devout parents with barely any room to breathe had felt like centuries had gone by, whereas when he was in a relatively stress-free, even pleasant, environment, the days flew by. It was now the day of the New Year's Party, with evening fast approaching, and Levi soon to be on his way to pick Eren up. The brunet felt like he'd had no time to prepare to see the devilishly attractive singer because of how fast everything blurred together between the 26th and now. He wasn't ready. He wasn't ready,  _at all._

Truth be told, after escaping from the Jaeger house, all Eren had been able to focus on was his predicament with his counterpart. Every thought that ran through his brain circled around Levi and... whatever  _this_  was. Buried deeply in his heart and mind, he knew that it had surpassed gay chicken long ago. The line between friendship and his preoccupation was blurred, and yet thrown into sharp relief against all of his other friendships. The fact of the matter was that, even though Eren loved his friends dearly and knew he would do anything for them... he treated the singer remarkably different from the rest. In the past, he'd engaged in gay chicken with Jean, and even Armin—who always lost—but it had never been quite like the way it was with Levi. When he played with his close friends, it was always laughed off, or breathed out with a "no homo" (even though both of his friends were exceptionally gay), and it certainly didn't get drawn out very long. Sure, sometimes touching was involved, but it wasn't so, so  _intense._

Playing gay chicken with Levi was like what Eren assumed foreplay would be like; his touches were always heated, well-placed, words spoken in a throaty lust-laden tone that it made the brunet's knees go weak. When they engaged with one another, the air swelled with a charge of such a palpable  _something_  that the tension between them made sparks dance on Eren's skin. From the start, Levi was uniquely divergent in the way that Eren treated him.

This wasn't to say that Eren thought he was a bad friend, or that he favored certain companions over the others. He'd gone out of his way to bend over backwards plenty of times to help out when they needed him. It's just... it wasn't to this extent. The lawyer could confidently say that never in his life had he  _ever_  made someone a nest of pillows and blankets, then let that person sleep curled up on his chest; nor had he ever had the desire to  _kiss_  one of his friends, let alone _acted on it_.

That is... until Levi strode into his life with that confident, bordering on cocky, saunter and those smoldering heather bedroom eyes that seemed to pierce right through him. The man that had so easily infuriated him by disregarding a simple request, being such an abrasive asshole that he'd nearly completely lost his temper, had equally as quickly captivated him and sucked the brunet into his orbit. Levi was an enigma with such contradictory personality traits and behaviors that only served to make him all the more complex. The more that Eren learned, the more he couldn't quite seem to figure the other man out. He came off as cold, uncaring, a dick who spoke his mind without stopping to think of how it would affect others. Yet the brunet learned that Levi did in fact care, he was just bad at expressing it, and he lacked a filter entirely. For all that Eren could tell, the singer was never trying to hurt anyone's feelings, he was just blunt as fuck, and that made him seem like a shitstain.

For all that he was—sarcastic, bitter, scathing, dour, funny, sweet, thoughtful, crass, beautiful—Eren liked him. He genuinely enjoyed Levi exactly as he was, and he wouldn't change him. Every single person in the world had their faults; some were unable to be overlooked, others were barely a nick in someone's character, but they were always there. The singer's were all laid out bare for anyone's eyes to see, and not many could get past his exterior, or get over all the flaws in order to experience all the good inside. It was what made Levi utterly human. And Eren liked it.

Which, unfortunately, led to his current dilemna. Eren had always followed his parents' wishes without question; his life was dictated by them, and his job was to obey. Never in his life had he even dared to consider questioning their decisions, regardless of if he agreed with their views or not. He lived his life swallowing his own beliefs and desires, bowing his head dutifully and enduring. All Carla and Grisha wanted was the best for their children. Eren understood that well enough, he just didn't understand why it felt so stifling. When Levi appeared in his life, it gave him... options, so to speak. Choices he'd never quite had the option of making. He could continue to endure silently, never having experienced anything of his own wants, or he could enjoy a little freedom. There was no way that he couldn't remain on his parents' path, but he could take a moment to diverge, gain insight into what everyone else was allowed, just sample a taste of it before he had to go back. He could just place one foot off of the path, and no one would have to know. His parents would never have to know, and he would be satisfied in knowing that the life they had selected for him was what was best. If he explored this, he was certain he'd learn that they were right all along.

He couldn't dawdle any longer. He had a small gap before he really had to lock Annie down like he was expected to. There was no more time for thinking. He had to decide, tonight. This party was the perfect time to figure out just what he wanted to do; all Eren had to do was stay sober, so that he could have the presence of mind to make a choice. The deciding factor had to be his desire to kiss Levi. If he still wanted to sober, then he knew. Anxiety had no more room to hold him back. All he had to do was tell himself that no one ever had to know, that his parents wouldn't find out, and what they didn't know wouldn't hurt them.

His chirping phone startled him out of his rumination, and he quickly turned to his dresser, snatching the device up and unlocking it. He'd received a new message from the singer, and he quickly tapped into the messaging app to bring it up. Levi had sent him a captioned image, so he opened it to bring it to full screen.

_'On my way to get you, brat. Be ready.'_

Eren flushed pink, and he chewed on his bottom lip as he studied the selfie. Levi was gazing into the camera, as he so often loved to do with those sinful bedroom eyes, and his sunglasses were perched low on his nose. His pouty lips were parted, and his wavy black locks made the lawyer weak-kneed. It should be  _illegal_  to be that fucking attractive. What gave Levi the  _right_  to be so bangable? Did he get off on making people horny and confused? And holy fuck, was he still wearing Eren's scarf? He  _was_ , that tiny fucking Satan. How absolutely frustrating. With a huff, Eren puffed out his cheeks and shot back a coy little statement of  _'I'm always ready for you,'_  because the shorter man deserved to be teased. That would show him for being sex on legs. Somehow.

 _Whatever_. Eren tossed his phone back onto the dresser and walked back over to his mirror to study his outfit. He wasn't sure what would be appropriate for a New Year's party, but it certainly wouldn't be a suit. These were Levi's friends, after all. He was probably dressed just fine. Still, his fingers kept pressing into the fabric on his thigh with trepidation, and he couldn't help but question if tight leather pants were  _too_  much. His t-shirt was like a second skin, clinging onto his frame and showing off every contortion or twitch of his muscles. Shaking his head hard, Eren turned away from the mirror. It was too fucking late to be having second thoughts. He'd already gone through too many articles of clothing to try and find the right outfit. The brunet just needed to get ahold of himself, for crying out loud. Who was he trying to impress? Levi had seen him in pajamas, had heard him break down into panicked snot-crying, and he still wanted to be his friend.

Oh shit. He'd broken down over the phone to Levi. He didn't cry in front of anyone, not even Isabel. He hadn't cried around or to anyone since he was a child. How was he supposed to deal with this?! Levi hadn't brought it back up, but what if he did? What if he was only still coming around to bring him to the party was because he'd already invited Eren, and was too nice to tell him he didn't want to be friends with such a pansy anymore? Wait, that wasn't right, Levi was too fucking blunt to do something like this out of niceness. So what did that leave him with? That the singer  _actually_  wanted to be around him still?

No! Eren didn't have  _time_  to panic! Levi was going to be here any fucking moment. He could worry later, he needed to make sure he was ready. Springing into action, the lawyer bustled around his room, snagging his coat and shoving his arms into it while fumbling his attempts to pick up his wallet. Swearing under his breath, he finally shrugged into his coat and managed to get his wallet into his back pocket. All he needed to do was grab his phone.

His phone that had started ringing incessantly. Shit. He tripped his way over to the dresser and secured his fingers around it, glancing at the caller ID to read  _'Tiny Satan'_  scroll across the screen. He answered it with a clumsy swipe of his thumb.

"Hello?" he said breathlessly, straightening up and speed-walking out of his bedroom.

 _"What took you so long to answer the phone? I called three times. Were you taking a shit? Jacking off?"_  Levi's deep voice came through staticky, but the mild irritation mixed with amusement could still be easily identified.

"No! I just wasn't near my phone. I'm coming now," Eren quickly spat out, rushing towards the front door.

 _"Without me? Selfish brat,"_  the singer teased, earning a mock-infuriated growl from the brunet.  _"I knew you were jackin' it."_

"I was not, you perverted old man," the lawyer rolled his eyes and threw his front door open. "Besides, who would want to come without you?" He shoved his key into the lock and bolted the door, spinning on his heels and getting blinded when Levi suddenly flashed his headlights a few times. "Ah, fuck! You shitstick! I can't see."

 _"Don't fall off your porch stairs, kid,"_  Levi chuckled, the sound pure sin and making Eren feel wobbly.

"Shut the fuck up, I wouldn't be about to if not for you flashing me," he grumbled, blinking his eyes until his vision was far less spotty. His golden eye was far more sensitive to light, although luckily he wouldn't get a migraine from a quick shuttering of headlights. The sun was more his enemy than anything else.

Another sexy laugh hit his eardrums, although this one was in tandem with the more tinny one on the phone. He looked up to see that Levi was standing outside of his car, the driver's side door wide open. The raven-haired man ended the call, giving Eren a salacious smirk, looking him up and down in a way that made the brunet feel like he was prey about to be devoured whole.

"I'll really flash you if you don't hurry up and get that perky ass in my car," he threatened playfully, pushing his sunglasses up the bridge of his nose to hide his eyes.

Eren flushed bright red, setting his jaw as he nearly stomped over to Levi's car and yanked open the passenger door, sliding inside. After he shut the door, he took a moment to take a deep breath and close his eyes, mentally preparing himself. He  _so_  wasn't ready for this. Not even a little bit. But he had to be; tonight was the night that he would let everything fall into place. He would would either remain strictly on his path, or take a step off with Levi.

He opened his eyes to see the singer slip into his seat and pull his door shut. Eren buckled his seatbelt and flashed Levi a rakish grin, trying to keep his nervousness under wraps. He waited until the other man was situated in his seat and pulling out of the driveway before clearing his throat to gain attention.

"So, where's this party at?" He was certainly curious, and hadn't thought to ask before now.

Levi hummed, his eyes flicking over to the side mirror before merging into the left lane. "It's at Erwin's. He's got a big ass house and holds the party there every year."

Eren made a noise of understanding in the back of his throat, his hands clasping together in his lap as he looked out the window. "Who's all coming?"

"Hange, Petra, Gunther and the gang, Farlan, anyone they might decide to bring, and some of Erwin's friends," the singer listed off as he took a turn to get onto the highway. "Rico will probably be there, she's one of Erwin's oldest friends. She's also a bitch and hard to deal with, so I'd steer clear if I were you."

"Oh, so she's like you?" Eren teased, poking one of Levi's cheeks with a smirk. "I don't have any trouble with you."

The singer shot a glare at the lawyer, baring his teeth and grunting. "You little shit. We're nothing alike. I have a winning personality, and she's a frigid bitch."

"I don't see a difference," Eren sing-songed, earning a shove to his shoulder. He chuckled as he settled back into his seat, turning his head to watch his counterpart drive. Said man was grumbling expletives under his breath, staring out at the road with murderous intent. A fond little smile curled up his lips, and he leaned his head against the headrest.

The silence between them was comfortable, like a warm blanket draping over them. Eren always felt so utterly himself around Levi, and  _fuck_  was that so nice. There was no pretending, no carefully crafted mask to hide his true self behind, and it was so relaxing. He felt this way around all of his friends, but never to this extent. None of his friends, barring Armin, knew what kind of people his parents were. Armin only knew a small fraction, because they'd been friends since before they could walk. He remembered.

That was an unsettling line of thought.  _Don't think about it_ , Eren told himself venomously, mentally shaking himself. It wasn't the time or the place to dwell on the past; he didn't want tonight to be ruined. Besides, he  _couldn't_  think about it. It was much too painful to remember, and it had to remain locked in a box in the back of his mind until it was time for it to burst open. It wasn't time yet. He would visit it alone to relive it on the day reserved solely for that. There was never any stopping it, anyway. It would come then, whether he wanted it to or not. But Eren always welcomed it; he didn't want to forget. It was all he had—

"We're almost there," Levi announced, pouring freezing water on Eren and jolting him from his thoughts. The musician had already turned off of the highway, and was heading down a long stretch of road, with houses few and far between. The lawyer glanced around, trying to discern where they were. They hadn't been driving for all that long, maybe thirty minutes, so they must still be in Trost, right?

"Where are we?" He asked, giving up trying to figure it out on his own. He wasn't of any help to anyone; he'd never left Trost in his life.

"Karanes. It's just on the western outskirts of Trost," Levi replied, his foot easing off the pedal slightly, starting to slow down.

Eren perked up, looking every which way, taking everything in. There was a lot of vegetation, and the houses that he  _did_  see—though they were rather spread out—were huge and gated. "This is my first time out of Trost."

The singer made a noise in the back of his throat, glancing over at Eren with an expression akin to shock. "Really?"

"Yeah, we've lived in Trost my whole life. I don't even know if my parents lived elsewhere before I was born. We don't go on trips. I suppose I could now, but I'm just always working." The brunet looked down at his lap, his hands fidgeting nervously.

"Well," Levi started, pulling up in front of a gate. "I'm sorry your first time out of Trost is to a place like Karanes." Eren looked up, giving a questioning stare to the other man.

"Why?"

"Because this is the place rich assholes go to get away from the riffraff. There's nothing but big ass houses out here," Levi sneered, rolling down his window to press a button on the intercom. "Eyebrows, open the fucking gates!"

A sigh came over the intercom speaker, and the musician rolled his window up, leaning back in his seat as the gates came to life. They slowly opened inward, and once there was enough space, Levi drove onto the property, running a hand back through his hair. The driveway was extremely long, leading up to a gorgeous ranch style house. From what Eren could tell in the dark, it was 3 stories and had a wrap-around porch. He whistled low, taking in the house; it must have made quite the dent in Erwin's bank account, that was for sure. Levi parked behind a line-up of other cars, presumably belonging to the other party-goers. After he shut the car off, the two of them climbed out and headed up to the house.

Levi didn't bother to knock or wait for anyone to answer the door, he merely barged in like he owned the place, beckoning Eren forward with a wave of his hand. The brunet swallowed, tentatively following after the shorter man. There was no turning back now. He had to do this tonight. Somebody give him the strength to avoid alcohol. The singer led them deeper into the house, stopping in front of a door. He shoved it open, revealing what looked to be a billiards room. There was a bar, a pool table, endless decorations, and various comfortable-looking couches and chairs to sit in. A plasma screen tv was mounted on the wall, taking up half of it, and it was currently displaying New York City's Time Square, counting down until the ball drops.

A blur from the corner of Eren's eye nearly knocked him onto his back from a sudden impact when Hange came rushing at him. She squealed excitedly, squeezing the breath out of him in a tight hug. "Ereeeeen! Grumpy's been hogging you all to himself! I'm so happy to see you again!"

Eren wheezed, trying to pry Hange loose from his person, the breath being squeezed out of him. When she finally released him, he sucked in a shaky gasp and gave her a wide smile. "It's good to see you too. Thanks for all the pictures."

"What pictures?" Levi cut in, looking between the two of them suspiciously.

"Don't you worry your precious head!" Hange shouted, latching onto her roommate to give him a back-breaking hug.

"Let me go, you maniac!" Levi demanded, flailing in her grasp. "You just saw me an hour ago!"

"I still missed you, my little grumpy," his bandmate cooed, pinching his cheek.

While Levi fought off Hange, Eren was bombarded with their friends coming up to greet him. Petra seemed to be already smashed, swaying on her feet and slurring out how pretty the brunet was. Gunther and Aurou were practically holding her up, making sure she didn't crash into anything. Captain America was engaged in a very serious-looking game of pool with a short woman with resting bitch face and white blonde hair. After getting reacquainted with Levi's friends, the lawyer wandered over to the billiards table, throwing on his thousand watt grin.

"Captain! It's a pleasure to see you again," he said, leaning against the side of the table. Erwin turned to regard him with a curious expression, one of his massive brows raising.

"Eren Jaeger, isn't it?" The tall blond reaffirmed, before humming thoughtfully and resting his pool cue against his shoulder. "I have to ask, why do you keep calling me Captain?"

The brunet smirked widely, mischief flashing in his disparate irises. "Because you look like Captain America. Ever thought about getting into acting?"

"Erwin can't act to save his life," the blonde woman scoffed, shaking her head before adjusting her glasses. She had piercing silvery-green eyes, and she was currently flicking them up and down Eren's body almost judgmentally. "I'm Rico Brzenska."

"Pleased to meet you," the lawyer said, giving her a pleasant smile and offering his hand to shake. She didn't take it, so after a few long, awkward moments, he let it drop.

"Pardon my asking, but, why are you here?" Rico questioned, leaning over the pool table and positioning her cue to line up a shot, no longer focusing her gaze on Eren.

"He's with me, Brzenska," Levi's voice cut in just as he draped his arm around Eren's shoulders, rather uncomfortable for himself since the damn brat was so much taller than him. "Got a problem with it? It's not your party, and I can bet more people would want him here than they do you." The singer sneered at her, narrowing his glacial grey eyes.

"Typical of you to bring a booty call to a friend gathering," Rico shot back, glaring heatedly at the black-haired man. "I still can't see what Erwin does in a talentless hack like you."

"Shove it up your ass, bitch," the short man snarled, his hand tightening its grip on the brunet's shoulder, as if using it to hold himself back. "For your fucking information, I would never bring a booty call around you, you'd scare them off. Secondly, Eren isn't some random fucking lay, he's my goddamn friend. But you wouldn't know what that is, would you? Seeing as you're such a frigid cun—"

 _"Enough_ , you too," Erwin cut in, leveling them both with scolding glares. "You two do this every year. Can't you just tolerate each other and shut up?"

Levi waved his middle finger in the air, tugging Eren away from the two blondes, grumbling under his breath when Rico yelled after him that he was immature. They moved over to a couch near the back of the room, sitting down next to one another. The singer immediately pulled his legs up onto the cushions, crossing them and leaning back, his fingers carding through his inky waves. He let out a long sigh, rubbing at his temples. Eren settled back, pulling one leg up and wrapping his arms around his knee.

The brunet broke the silence between them. "You  _really_ weren't kidding."

Levi snorted, opening his eyes and looking over at Eren. "I fuckin' told you, brat."

The pair ended up scooting closer so that the singer could show the lawyer all of the pictures he'd taken during Christmas. They laughed and talked about the circumstance of each image; Eren even had the same reaction to Hange's sweater that Levi had, which made the musician snort with amused laughter. The two men got lost in their own world, discussing anything and everything, teasing one another when the chance arose. The brunet pointed out how much Levi looked like Kuchel, and that he really was a shorty, especially compared to the rest of his family. He earned himself a playful punch to the shoulder for that joke.

Around them, the party was in full swing; Hange was challenging Gunther to a drinking game of some sorts that involved a card game of her own invention with convoluted rules. Eld was trying to convince Petra to drink a full glass of water and to stay away from the bar. Rico and Erwin were well into their fifth game of pool, with Erwin leading 3 wins against Rico's one. Aurou and Farlan were shooting the shit at the bar, leisurely drinking beer. A few more people had arrived sometime after Levi and Eren had, but the lawyer didn't recognize them, and couldn't be assed to give a fuck about making pleasantries.

They fell into a companionable silence, and Levi started fiddling with the ends of the scarf. He didn't look up, his eyes not really focusing on anything. "You know, it's probably dumb, but I really missed you. During Christmas." His voice was low, almost as if he was sharing a secret, and he had an utterly soft expression on his face. Eren was getting a fuzzy warm feeling in his chest, and he could feel his cheeks heating up. "It's probably dumb, because we see each other all the time, and it hadn't been that long but. I felt like it wouldv'e been nice if... if you'd been there." The singer cleared his throat, his face flushed a delicate pink in embarrassment.

Eren's chest was buzzing. Everything about his counterpart was absolutely endearing. It really wasn't fair. There was just something about Levi that drew him in. Hell, maybe it was  _everything_  about the other man. He really couldn't deny it anymore, or try to pretend it wasn't there.

He was attracted to Levi. Extremely attracted. His gaze fell to the musician's pouty lips, and he wet his own. He watched the way they moved when he spoke, how his teeth worried over the bottom lip from nervousness or embarrassment, how the corners would twitch or quirk up when he was trying not to smile. They looked so soft and inviting, and from what he could recall of that drunken kiss he'd stolen, they  _were_ as soft as they looked. God, he still wanted to kiss Levi. The desire only seemed to have grown rather than went away.

All Eren needed was the bravery to go through with this. His decision was made. He was going to secretly defy his parents. Fuck, his palms were sweating now, and he tried to covertly wipe them on the plush cushion that he occupied.

Cheers were errupting around him, and his head snapped up. Everyone had gathered around the tv because the countdown to midnight was starting. The ball was going to drop. Everyone started counting along, chanting the numbers with growing anticipation. Now was as good a time as any, he supposed.

Licking his lips, the brunet braced himself. He was going to do this. He was going to build up the courage to do this before time ran out. He could do this. His name was Eren Jaeger, and he was a brave, determined motherfucker.

_"10..."_

He brought his gaze back onto the man next to him, who wasn't looking at him. Their conversation had come to another halt, but neither of them really minded the silence. It wasn't awkward, and Eren really found it to be relaxing that neither one of them felt the need to fill every gap with mindless chatter.

_"9..."_

Levi was watching the countdown with mild disinterest, and Eren needed to get his attention somehow. He wanted the singer to know that the brunet wanted him. He didn't want to ignore this any longer, it was getting too out of hand, almost painful to hide away. He didn't just want friendship from the other man. It was so glaringly obvious to him now.

_"8..."_

He parted his lips, finding that he didn't quite know how to work his voice. He swallowed to try and wet his throat. He didn't want to choke on his breath, that was the last way he wanted to draw attention, because Levi would become concerned. Don't get him wrong, Eren loved that his counterpart cared so much, it would just waste too much time to explain that he was nervous and didn't know how to handle himself because all he wanted was to kiss the breath right out of Levi's lungs.

_"7..."_

God, his heart was pounding so loudly, he could feel the tremor of it in his fingertips. It hadn't sped up, only gotten louder. It felt like it was trying to break its way past his sternum and out of his chest. There was no way the raven-haired man couldn't hear his heartbeat, it was so fucking thunderous to his own ears.

_"6..."_

Levi was so beautifully lit up by the fairy lights strung up around the room. The light softened his features, made him look so very vulnerable. Eren felt special to be able to witness something like that, to be able to see past the abrasive shell that Levi wore like armor.

_"5..."_

His stomach was filling with butterflies, fluttering around and buzzing with nerves. He'd been forcing himself to digest them since the night of the concert, so far in denial that he couldn't admit to anything without having a panic attack. He'd never felt like this before; it was so very new and weird, but not alarming. After he'd gotten past the terror of his own mind, the feeling of butterflies became comforting. He really hadn't done a good job at digesting his butterflies, because they had come back with a vengeance and were trying to explode out of his stomach.  _Now or never_ , they seemed to say, egging him into action.

_"4..."_

Eren finally found his voice. "Levi," he murmured, and they way he said the name carried so much weight, so many unspoken things laden within that one single word. He was actually surprised at how smoothly his voice had come out, considering how jittery he felt. Levi's head turned towards him, and smoky grey met swirling aquamarine and molten gold as their eyes locked.

_"3..."_

The lawyer felt his breath catch in his throat, and he couldn't tear his eyes away from the other man. Levi was so heart-wrenchingly beautiful. It really should be illegal for one man to be this alluring. His bedroom gaze was impossible to escape from, drawing you in and keeping you trapped. Eren found himself not wanting to be freed. He could stare into those silvery irises forever.

_"2..."_

Slowly, Eren's gaze dipped down, trailing along the straight bridge of his nose to the tip. It was as if his stare was magnetized, being pulled down to those sinful pouty lips. He couldn't look away from them, and he didn't want to. He watched enraptured as Levi's little pink tongue poked out and ran slowly along his bottom lip, wetting it. The brunet managed to flick his eyes back up to take in his counterpart's expression, and with a thrilled jolt, he realised that Levi was staring at his lips too.

_"1..."_

Taking that as a good omen, Eren leaned his body forward, his lips parting. His eyelids drooped, lidding his eyes as he brought a hand up to cup the side of Levi's neck. The singer had done the same almost in tandem, his hand coming to rest on the brunet's cheek. Their lips met in the middle, nearly crashing into each other with such a burning intensity that it stole Eren's breath. His eyes fluttered shut, and he pressed deeper into the kiss, shivering when Levi's tongue came out to trail teasingly along his upper lip. It felt like electricity was flowing through his veins when the singer's wet muscle slid past his lips and explored his mouth. It was nothing like they said it would be in books or movies; stars weren't bursting behind his eyes, but this kiss made his body feel like he'd grabbed onto a live wire.

_"Happy New Year!"_

They broke apart for breath after everyone started cheering and blowing into noise-makers. Eren bit his lip, his heart beating with a deafening intensity. During their kiss, they'd pressed so close that the lawyer could feel the rise and fall of Levi's chest as he breathed. He met their gazes, tightening his hold on his counterpart.

"I want you," he whispered with a fervent earnestness, although a desperation underlined his tone with his next statement. "This can't mean anything." He held Levi's gaze urgently, trying to convey his meaning.

Levi stared back into Eren's eyes, studying him with a silent deliberation. "Okay," he murmured. And it was. He leaned back in, kissing the brunet with all the passion he possessed. He ravished his mouth with his tongue, drawing out a delectable whine. The singer kissed his counterpart with a desperation he didn't know he possessed. He wanted Eren to remember this moment with a clarity that would never fade.

To Levi, anything that Eren was willing to give him was more than okay. He was fully aware that the lawyer couldn't give himself wholly over to the singer; whatever hold his shitty parents had over him was strong. Whatever Eren gave him, Levi would take, and he would take it happily. He was a greedy man by nature, it seemed, when it came to the winsome brunet. He would never force anything, but he would consume anything offered to him like an avaricious dog. This was enough. It wouldn't mean anything because Eren didn't want it to, and that was okay. This was all Levi needed.

The singer didn't need it to mean anything, he just wanted desperately. The lawyer seemed to want just as desperately, and oh, would Levi give him all he could want and more. There was no more holding back.

His fingers laced up into Eren's messy brown locks, gripping onto it tightly as he deepened the kiss, growling low in his throat when his lip was bitten coyly. Neither of them knew exactly what they were getting themselves into, but they didn't give a flying fuck.

All they knew was that they wanted each other, and they wanted it  _now._

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> And there you have it! What do you think??? Did you enjoy this chapter? Was my drawing okay??? Feed me your thoughts, babes, I appreciate all comments. From here on out, things are gonna be getting hot and heavy, if you know what I mean. Strap on in, grab a change of panties, you might need them. I'm really excited to hear how you all felt about this chapter. I'm looking forward to the in depth comments! Don't be afraid to comment, because every single comment, no matter how big or small, or how insignificant you think it might be, trust me when I say it means everything to me. Every comment means the world and makes my day brighter. I love being able to engage with my readers. You are all important to me, never doubt that.  
> I'm doing my best to make sure that I stay consistent with posting. Despite my coming birthday (Dec. 24th), this month is really hard on me, including my seasonal depression. I'm doing my utmost to make sure it doesn't kick my ass! I'll continue to write and keep to the schedule I've pretty much got set. If I slip up at all, and am late in posting, I really thank you guys for being understanding. That being said, you guys don't have to be worried about me! I'm a tough cookie, and I'll be okay.  
> Remember that I read and respond to every comment, and that even the readers that don't comment but continually read and support this story are just as loved and appreciated. Now I'm going to let my wrist rest and wear my brace like a nerd, because it's swollen! All the love, until next time, babes!


	16. Starting the New Year With a Bang

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> GUYS, HELLO. I'm going to preface this chapter with a huge apology. I am SO FUCKING SORRY, GUYS. I tried, I tried really hard, but the month of December is the fucking worst for me, and it absolutely killed my motivation and drive. I know we're halfway into January, and I'm so sorry. It took me a while to recover. I tried my best, but I got swept up in the melancholy. HOWEVER. I AM BACK, BABES. And I really hope this chapter was worth the wait. I hope it's good, I really do. I worked hard on it.  
> I can promise you guys that my motivation is back to full throttle, baby. This train is powering through! I really am sorry for the wait. Enough of my chatter, please enjoy this latest installment! Apologies for any errors, grammatical or otherwise. This story is unbeta'd and unedited; I only do a cursory sweep through.

_**A Year and 1 Month Ago** _

_**January** _

Coming back to reality happened in fragments. Little bursts of sounds filtered in first; bubbles of laughter, the din of several conversations intermingling all at once, and the jarring noise of celebrating the start of a new year. The clamor of a room full of people began to drown out the sound of Levi's own heartbeat in his ears the more aware of the noise he became. Music permeated the space, low enough that spoken word could be heard over it without having to shout but high enough to grate along his nerves. Next, flickering shades of light burned through his eyelids and into his retina. It danced over his lids, causing his pupils to focus on the muted red of light bleeding through flesh. The feeling of Eren against his lips, his soft locks tangled up in Levi's grip, their bodies pressed together; their closeness was invaded by the warmth of the room, the cushion of the couch beneath them, and the feel of music pulsing beneath his feet on the floor.

Reality diffused through their little bubble in increments, and then all at once. The fog of their own world dissipated in a sharp gust of wind as Levi became acutely aware of the fact that he was in a liplock with Eren in a crowded room. They weren't alone. There were people, his friends and their companions, all around them. Reality came to him first, and he regretfully broke their kiss, grimacing as if the act of doing so had pained him greatly. He opened his slate eyes and brought his gaze up to his counterpart's face.

Eren was flushed hues of pink, his lids fluttering open slightly, confusion standing out starkly on his face. His lips were swollen and red, having been abused by the singer only moments before, and his heterochromatic eyes were clouded over with lust. His expression was alluring, and Levi found himself wishing that he had the ability to paint; he wanted to immortalize the Eren that sat in front of him, full of wanting. It takes several long moments for the lawyer to come back to reality, and once he does, his eyes widen and his cheeks redden even further. He glances around the room with tensed shoulders, only relaxing when he realises that no one is even looking in their direction. He breathes a sigh of relief, his shoulders drooping.

Levi runs a hand through his hair, tongue tracing over his bottom lip to savor the taste of the other man, a low hum leaving his throat. This was certainly a new development. Granted, they'd been playing gay chicken and flirting with each other since the second time they'd met up, and he'd been hoping secretly that he'd get the chance to have Eren, but he never actually thought it would work out that way. He knew the lawyer wasn't drunk, because neither of them had touched any alcohol in their entire time being at the party. So with that barred, the desire that Eren held for him had to be genuine. There was always a chance, however, that he was only doing this because it was what he thought Levi wanted. The singer was very aware of the fact that he projected his attraction to the lawyer rather blatantly. You'd have to be one dense motherfucker not to feel the desire rolling off of his body in waves.

"Eren," Levi started, then paused, his lips parted as he tried to gather his thoughts. "I want you to be sure, that... this is what you want. I don't want you doing something you're uninterested in just because you think I want it."

The brunet was quiet, his hands latching together in his lap, and he stared at his interlocked fingers as he contemplated. "Truthfully?" He murmured, bringing a sheepish gaze up to meet Levi's eyes. "I've been struggling with, with how much I want you." His stare hardened with determination, and his cheeks filled with warmth. "Trust me when I say, I want this as much as you do."

Cupping onto the flushed cheeks with a firm grasp, Levi stares into seaglass and amber, brows furrowing as he scrutinizes Eren's eyes, looking for a shaky resolve or a telltale sign of a lie. Finding neither, his lips break out into a soft smile, his own heather eyes lidding. He nearly purrs in delight, and he leans towards Eren, his voice dropping several octaves. "I'm glad we're on the same page, brat."

Eren scoffs, giving the singer a crooked grin. He daringly runs his hand up Levi's inner thigh, dragging his nails over the seam of his jeans lightly. "Is there somewhere private we can go?" He boldly cupped Levi's cock through his pants, and the singer made a muted guttural noise low in his throat. This brat was going to be the death of him. He was going to spontaneously combust if he didn't drag Eren out of the room this instant.

Unfortunately, Levi was still very much mindful of the fact that they were surrounded by his friends and their company. As much as he really didn't give a fuck if, say, Hange or Petra saw him lead the lawyer off, he wanted to avoid Shitbrow's keen eye. Rico was also extremely observant, and from the look of her, she hadn't drank hardly enough in Levi's opinion, seeing as she was still conscious. He just knew that if either of those two saw him and Eren sneaking off, he'd never hear the end of it. That snobby bitch just loved being proved right, and Erwin was basically like a second mother. Levi  _really_  didn't feel like dealing with Mother Eyebrows; he'd rather blow his own brains out onto the floor.

He held back a sigh, scanning the room with furrowed brows. It didn't seem like anyone was paying attention to them. Levi wasn't exactly sure how long they'd been sucking face, but no one had noticed that, so they all had to be pretty inebriated. He wanted to smack his head into the wall at the realisation of his only solution. He didn't want to get her involved, but his options were slim to none. He begrudgingly dug out his phone, bringing the screen to life and typing in his passcode.

Eren was getting impatient. Sure, they'd only been sitting there for a couple of minutes since he'd last opened his mouth, but now that he'd come to terms with himself and his wants, the desire was eating him alive. He was almost certain he'd  _die_  if he didn't have more of Levi, all of Levi, right fucking now. The brunet was getting to the point where he almost didn't give a shit if they were in a room full of people. He debated the pros and cons of ripping the singer's clothes off right now. The only issue he could really see in his lust-addled mind was the fact that he really didn't want to experiment with exhibitionism for his first time.

Making a noise of irritation in the back of his throat, Eren stuck his hand between Levi's legs and gave his dick a firm squeeze, dragging his lips along the line of his throat. He smirked against the other man's skin when he felt him shudder and heard his muttered expletive. Maybe he could tease Levi into action? That could certainly be arranged, if they would only just leave this fucking room faster.

"Patience, brat," Levi growled out, slipping his arm around Eren's waist and cupping a perky ass cheek through his sinfully tight leather pants. He couldn't wait to rip them off.

The singer nearly seized when Eren pawed at his cock again, and he pulled back slightly to shoot a mutinous glare at the brunet. However, it was softened with need, and didn't seem to sway the lawyer in the slightest, only seeming to embolden his actions. Levi huffed, shifting slightly as he tried to focus on the screen of his phone. He was already at half-mast, so to speak, because of Eren's teasing, and he really didn't want to be sporting a massive hard on in front of god and everybody.

Quickly shooting a simple text of  _'S.O.S.'_  to Hange, Levi looked up from his phone and flicked his gaze around the room until his heather eyes spotted his best friend. He watched impatiently as she dug her phone out of her bra and brought up his message. Her head shot up and she met his eyes, before scanning over the two men, a shit-eating grin splitting her face. Eren sunk his teeth into the juncture between Levi's neck and shoulder, eliciting a delectably groaned  _"fuck."_

Gripping onto his phone so as to assure he wouldn't drop it, Levi trailed his fingertips along the crack of Eren's ass, his nails scraping over leather. If the brunet wanted to tease, he was more than willing to dish it right back out. His cell vibrated in his hand, and he quickly raised it to eye level, grunting when Eren's daring big hand cupped his balls and massaged his fingers pleasantly into the sensitive flesh. He had trouble focusing on the text, mentally cursing every time his brain failed to absorb the information.

Finally, he got his eyes to work in tandem with his brain.  _'I'm your girl, shortstack! Second floor, 4th guest room. I left you a little present. Leave it to me!'_  Huffing a breath of a laugh, Levi rolled his eyes. Of course she would, the fucking insufferable, ingenious woman. He really couldn't have asked for a better best friend.

Said woman was currently climbing on top of the pool table. She cleared her throat once she was standing in the center, and then cupped her hands around her mouth to make her voice project. "Can I have your attention, please?!" She paused momentarily, until all eyes were on her, and gave a Cheshire-like grin. "Ladies and gents, you may be wondering why I'm standing on the table. You may be pondering why I want your undivided attention. You may not even be wondering anything at all, because you're blackout drunk. But none of that matters!"

Confident that everyone was currently focused on Hange, Levi grasped onto Eren's hand and removed it from his dick, instead linking their fingers. He stood and pulled his counterpart to his feet, inching them towards the door casually so as not to draw attention. He kept glancing over at his roommate, scanning the backs of everyone's heads cautiously. Eren was mildly curious about whatever it was Hange was doing, but it was heavily outweighed by want that he barely spared another thought. One of his hands was being held prisoner, but he still had one free to do with what he wanted. He pressed close to the shorter man's back, snaking his arm around to dip his fingers under the hem of Levi's shirt. His digits traced over the lightly defined musculature, his mouth watering at the firm feel of the singer's flesh. Levi was feeling positively tortured, and he just wanted to slam Eren into the wall and fuck him raw, but he really couldn't let Hange's efforts be in vain.

"Due to prior incidences, every year our very own Captain Eyebrows hides his most expensive wine in the hopes that I won't find it! He's a clever man, he should be able to outwit me, right? Unfortunately for him, though, I  _always_  find the wine! Perhaps you're wondering why he hides it! If you all weren't plastered every year, you'd remember." Hange pauses in her speech to kneel down on the table and reach down to the floor, picking up several bottles of Merlot, Pinot Noir, and Cabernet Sauvignon.

A part of Levi's French soul died at the thought of what was shortly to become of the red wine. He promptly forgot about his mourning when the chilled tips of Eren's fingers found his nipples and ghosted over them. He reached a hand back and blindly felt his way to the crotch of the brunet's tight leather pants, groping along the length of his stiffening cock. Satisfaction lit up low in his stomach at the breathy, strangled moan Eren breathed against the back of his neck. Maybe he'd learn to stop being so handsy until they finally escaped the billiard's room. That pipe dream was utterly decimated swiftly when the lawyer shot his hand down Levi's chest and right into his pants, digits scrambling past the hem of his briefs.

"Prepare to be amazed as I succeed in juggling up to 7 bottles of wine! I only broke five last year, let's see if I can beat my record, hm?" Hange cackled maniacally and Erwin began shoving his way towards the pool table, a mix of emotions swirling over his features.

"I  _knew_  you were being too docile this year! Damnit, Hange, leave my wine alone!" Erwin shouted.

"Stay back or the wine gets it!" his bandmate threatened, tauntingly holding one of the bottles of Merlot over the edge of the pool table, and Levi took that as his cue.

Struggling to remove Eren's hand from his pants, he yanked the man out of the room and tugged him down the hall. With renewed vigor, the brunet twisted his hand out of Levi's grasp, utilizing the freedom of both appendages. He fought to keep his fingers curled around the throbbing, hard cock in his grip, and the other hand began its own assault on the singer's nipples. Levi swallowed a groan, stopping dead in his track and whirling around to face Eren, his grey eyes darkened with lust. He drew shaky breaths, gripping onto both of his counterpart's ass cheeks to draw his attention.

"If you can't be patient for five more seconds, I'm throwing you against the staircase and fucking you there," he growled out, his voice husky and deepened with repressed desire.

Eren licked his lips, shivering in delight at the utter masculinity dripping from Levi's voice. He smirked coyly, giving a teasing squeeze to the dick in his hand, before slowly withdrawing his appendages and holding them up in surrender. "I'll behave," he purred, his mischievous gemstone eyes betraying his words.

Levi didn't believe his counterpart for even a second, but at least he had an easier time thinking now that his body lacked wandering hands. He lifted up a finger and crooked it at Eren, that knee-weakening smirk curling the corner of his lips, and the brunet had no choice but to comply. He followed the singer up a set of stairs and left down a hall. They stopped outside of the fourth door lining the hall, and Levi pushed it open, gesturing his counterpart in.

Stepping through the doorway, Eren spun on his heel and gripped onto the soft fabric of Levi's sweater, yanking him inside. The lawyer was done behaving. He'd waited long enough. After gaining his balance back, the singer kicked the door shut behind them, having the presence of mind to reach back and lock it securely. As soon as he heard the lock click, Levi placed his hands firmly on Eren's hips, pulling them towards his own, and using the momentum to spin them. He pushed his counterpart against the door with a dull thud, his head tilting up as his lips sought out the other's. Eren coiled his arms around Levi's neck, his back bowing slightly as the other man pushed up on the tips of his toes. Their lips met, and the brunet let out a desperate whine, relishing in the contact. He'd felt like he'd been parched, and the insistent press of the singer's lips on his brought the relief of a cool glass of water.

Lips parting invitingly, Eren coaxed Levi's tongue out and into his mouth by trailing his own wet muscle along the seam of his lips. The shorter man wasted no time in absolutely devouring his counterpart. He opened his mouth and let his tongue teasingly dive into the brunet's, exploring along the roof of his mouth and shivering when making contact with Eren's tongue. The lawyer was clumsy, his wet muscle flickering and curling anxiously, but with all of the enthusiasm he possessed, and fuck, did Levi find that to be a huge turn on. He let his hands roam, fingers greedily splayed to feel every inch of Eren's muscles through his thin, skin tight shirt. This definitely needed to be the first thing to go, there was far too much fabric in the way of heated flesh.

As desperate as he was to rid Eren of every shred of decency and have his way with him, he still had self-control and his wits about him. He had something important he needed to address before this went any further. Levi broke the kiss and drew back, breathing heavily. Eren leaned forward, trying to recapture the frontman's lips, but when he failed to do so as the other man leaned back, he let out a frustrated whine. It seemed like he would never get what he was starving for. Too many fucking delays, not enough fucking.

Levi placed a hand over Eren's pounding heart and stared up at him with serious heather irises, his breath finally caught. "Hey, this is important, so pay attention, brat." The lawyer fought the urge to roll his eyes, but his bottom lip pouted out petulantly. Still, he made a show of giving his counterpart his undivided attention. "I said this earlier, but, if you don't want to do this, you don't have to. And I—"

Eren cut him off, leaning forward and furrowing his brow. "I already told you—" he started, but immediately snapped his mouth shut when Levi narrowed his gaze into a murderous glare.

Once he made sure that the brunet wasn't going to interrupt anymore, he continued on as if there hadn't been a pause. "I don't just mean straight up not wanting it right off the bat. If at any point you get uncomfortable, or you don't want to go any farther,  _anything_ , you just have to tell me. All you have to say is stop, and I will. You don't have to give me a reason, you don't have to explain yourself. Just say no or stop, and I will. Your consent is important, Eren. I don't want you to feel uncomfortable or pressured to keep going. Okay?"

Warmth spread throughout Eren's body from his chest, and the pout fell right from his face. It was so obvious that Levi cared. The fact that the singer did everything he could to ensure his counterpart's comfort with his ability to revoke consent at any time spoke volumes about the kind of person that he was. Affection coursed through his veins in time with his pulse, and he brought both of his large hands up to cup Levi's pale, angular face.

"Okay," he murmured, brushing their lips together. "The same goes for you, too. Your consent is just as important, old man."

"Brat," Levi huffed out before recapturing Eren's lips in a searing kiss.

Long fingers slid into wavy ink-black locks, tangling and tugging on the soft tresses as the brunet deepened the kiss. Eren took a few steps forward, trying to lead Levi deeper into the room. He continued backing the other man up until the singer's thighs pressed against the edge of the mattress. Levi sat down on the bed slowly, keeping his counterpart in a liplock and guiding him down to his level. The lawyer dropped his hands from the singer's hair, falling to rest on either side of him on the mattress. He leaned heavily into the shorter man, tongue dipping between thin lips and running along the other wet muscle.

As Levi leaned his body back onto the bed, Eren climbed forward onto it, bringing his knees forward to straddle him. With a thundering heart, the taller man pressed their bodies firmly together, shivering at the feeling of Levi's bulge pressing into his hip. Fuck, he wanted this more than anything. He could hardly contain himself. Eren didn't even know what the fuck he was doing, it was all so new, but he wanted it so badly it hurt. Every action and movement he made was purely instinctual. He was barely thinking, didn't want to think too much lest his lack of experience get the better of him. Pure need was driving him, and logic took a backseat. Eren could feel the swell of his cock pressing against its tight confines; the leather pants were almost painful on the throbbing arousal, and he subconsciously rolled his hips in an effort to find relief.

Stars burst behind his eyelids and he saw white. The friction sent his pulse into a frenzy as pleasure bloomed from his groin, and he let out a half-whine, half-moan. God, that felt amazing. With more awareness, he angled his hips to line up with Levi's and he ground their erections together. The action elicited the most beautifully erotic sound from the singer, and Eren just wanted to hear more, to draw the sounds from his pretty lips. He rocked slowly and with purpose, a strangled groan pulling from his throat.

The lawyer's machinations felt fucking amazing, it was driving Levi wild, and without conscious thought he shifted the weight of his body and flipped them so that he was laying on top of Eren. Breaking the kiss, the shorter man sat up and straddled his counterpart, looking down at him with the most alluring expression. His lips were kiss-swollen and red, cheeks pleasantly flushed, and his wavy locks were in utter disarray. His bedroom gaze was heady with lust, heather irises clouded over and pupils blown wide in arousal. Eren felt like he was an animal of prey, laid out before a ravenous predator with the way Levi's eyes were devouring him. It sent a thrill through him. He couldn't wrap his head around the fact that he was the cause of fucking sex on legs Levi Ackerman losing himself in desire.

 _"Oh,"_  Eren breathed out, more of a moan than a spoken word, when Levi began gyrating his hips. The singer was definitely better at this, it felt so much  _more._

Levi made sure to keep contact between their cocks as he rolled and ground into Eren, his lids fluttering open and shut from the mind-numbing feeling of pleasure. He moved his hips in a mesmerising erotic dance, purposefully slow and angled to draw out the most sensation. Sweat beaded on Eren's forehead, and he forced his eyes to remain open so he could memorise the way that Levi looked right now. Cold fingers pried at the hem of his shirt with surety, and the singer pulled the fabric up and off of his counterpart with a practiced ease. He drank in the sight of Eren's muscled torso, mouth watering, and ran his tongue over his bottom lip.

Eren already knew that Levi was very experienced, but if he hadn't, the way in which he moved gave it away. He knew exactly what he was doing, what would elicit what reaction, and how to move his body. The brunet knew none of these things; he was utterly inexperienced. He tensed up, unsure of what to do with his hands or his body. What if Levi no longer wanted him because he sucked?

The singer was dragging his tongue slowly down Eren's pectorals and abs, wet muscle laving over every dip and curve. He felt the moment that the lawyer stiffened beneath him, and instantly he lifted his mouth away. His movements ceased and he sat up, staring down sternly at the delectable man beneath him.

"Eren," he drawled, his tone managing to maintain the severity he was going for even as it still held the breathlessness of arousal. "What did I tell you? If you want to stop, just say it. Don't force yourself to do this." He was frustrated with his own inability to give Eren the peace of mind to be able to bring up a retraction of consent. He was allowed to change his mind, damnit, and apparently the singer was too intimidating or off-putting to really get that across. He really needed to work on that. As Levi shifted his center of gravity to move off of his counterpart in the hopes of removing any discomfort, large hands slapped down onto his hips and soft fingers clamped on with a vice-like grip.

"No!" Eren cried out, holding Levi in place stubbornly. "It's not that, not even a little bit," he grumbled, glaring up at the shorter man.

Levi raised a singular brow, cocking his head to the side as he crossed his arms. "Hoh? Then what is it?"

Eren blushed from neck to the tips of his ears, but refused to look away, and the determined light was still very much alive in his eyes. "It's just... I, uh." He floundered momentarily, mouth opening and closing. This was really fucking embarrassing. "I'm not... I've never. Um." He sucked in a deep breath, and his voice dropped several octaves, nearly a whisper when he spoke again. "I'm a virgin. I don't know what I'm doing. I want this, but I just..." he trailed off, chewing on his bottom lip. His shoulders tensed up as he waited for Levi to tell him that he was unwanted.

It wasn't much of a surprise to Levi; he could tell that Eren lacked experience, but just had assumed that it had been with men. It made sense that the younger man kissed with a lack of skill made up with in enthusiasm, then. He'd been trying to keep up with the singer, who clearly had quite a bit more experience. Levi found that utterly endearing, and he felt significantly warmer at the fact that Eren was more than willing to have him be his first. He felt... special. And with this fact in mind, well. This wasn't how he'd originally intended for this to happen, but plans could be changed. He'd been planning to wreck Eren's tight ass, but this would be just as enjoyable.

"If you want to stop or slow down, tell me," Levi murmured, carding his fingers through the soft brown locks.

Eren looked up at him sheepishly. "You still want me?"

"Baby, you still being a virgin is  _hardly_  a deal-breaker. It's actually pretty hot; I get to be the first to have you." Levi smirked salaciously, reaching a hand in between them to firmly cup Eren's cock. Red once again bloomed over the lawyer's cheek, and he swallowed hard, shivering from the contact.

Levi hadn't bottomed since he'd had his first boyfriend at the pure age of 15. It's not that he didn't like it; he firmly felt that he enjoyed switching, it's just that everyone he'd slept with after that preferred to bottom, or he really didn't want to give up that control to some one-night stand. Eren, though, he was more than willing to bottom for. Besides, Levi considered himself a power bottom. He wasn't going to relinquish the control just because a dick was being shoved up his ass.

He was going to need a lot of lube, and a decent amount of prep. Distantly, he recalled the reason he'd even come to this particular room. Hange. The woman was absolutely devious. He had no doubts as to why they'd been sent here. Leaning over to the nightstand, Levi yanked open a drawer, and lo and behold, there lay a treasure trove of lube and condoms. He'd have to remember to thank his shitty, interfering roommate. Pulling out a string of condoms and a bottle of lube, he laid them out on the bed and shut the drawer before straightening back out. He hovered over Eren and slowly peeled his sweater up, a certain sort of pleasure coiling through him at the way those disparate eyes couldn't leave him and were drinking in the sight of each inch of revealed flesh.

With his sweater out of the way, the cool air of the room bit at his overheated skin, making him shiver. He slinked down between Eren's legs, using his teeth and tongue to unbutton and unzip his tight leather pants. By the low, guttural groan he released, the sight of him doing that must have wound the lawyer up tight. With a hidden smirk, he laved at the turgid flesh beneath briefs, curling his tongue around the heated shaft.

"Fuck," Eren hissed, his hands clenching and unclenching. Pleasure exploded through his nerves, and he dropped his head back against the pillows.

As Levi poured attention onto the brunet's groin, he unbuttoned his own jeans with one hand and kicked them off along with his boxers. His other hand was currently occupied with peeling the leather down to expose more of Eren's thighs. Once he'd gotten it far down enough, he bit into the hem of his briefs and tugged them harshly, allowing the lawyer's cock to bounce free. Eren gasped harshly at the sudden assault of cool air, but it died in his throat as a warm, wet tongue licked a stripe up the underside of the shaft. Opening his mouth wide and relaxing his jaw, Levi swirled his wet muscle over the engorged head, letting his saliva pool and drip down, before he swallowed it whole without warning.

Letting out a broken, drawn out, and strangled groan, Eren's fingers scramble to find purchase in Levi's hair. He sucks in a ragged breath, his body tremoring at the sudden onslaught of pleasure. He's babbling, unaware of the words falling from his lips, chased with keening moans and expletives murmured like prayers. Incohesive praises and broken sentences spout past his lips, and he tugs harshly on the inky hair in his grasp. The singer continues his machinations, sucking, tongue swirling, swallowing, and pops open the cap to the lube.

The sound is jarring enough that Eren opens his eyes, blearily looking down at the gorgeous man between his legs. Levi releases the cock from his mouth, drawing out a whine from his counterpart. He licks his lips as he coats his fingers in lube, and gives Eren a heated stare.

"Think you can be patient for me?" He purrs, slipping his lubed up hand between his own thighs. Eren's nodding before the words even register, but once they do, he's sitting up, a noise of protest on his lips. "I've gotta prep," Levi scolds, trying to push Eren back down, but the lawyer isn't anything if not determined.

"Turn around and let me see," he growls out; it's a command, not a request, and it goes straight to Levi's already painfully hard cock.

Swallowing a moan, the shorter man shifts his body until his back is to Eren. He bends easily, pressing his chest to the mattress. He lacks any shame or any sense of modesty, exposing the entirety of his ass to the lawyer. "Be sure to watch me," he drawls, his cheek brushing against the comforter as he shoots a smoldering look over his shoulder.

He watches as Eren's adam's apple bobs, once again slipping his hand back between his thighs. Circling his rim slowly with his middle and index finger, Levi smears the lube around. His hole twitches from the stimulation, and he shivers. He can feel Eren's eyes burning into him, and fuck if that doesn't spur him on. Inching his index finger past the rim, he teases himself as he slowly works himself open. Levi breathes out a delicate moan, curling his digit and wiggling it to loosen up his muscles. Once satisfied, he slides it out and presses his middle finger against it. They dive back into his ass slowly, a shudder wracking through him. It's a tight fit, but he's relaxing his body as much as he can. This step is important; he'd rather take all the time he can prepping his ass for the big fucking cock he's about to take than split himself in half trying to shove it into his tight unprepped hole.

The feeling of foreign, chilled fingers brushing against his rim makes him arch slightly, his back dipping further and pressing his torso more firmly into the mattress. Eren was far from content with watching. It was the hottest thing he'd ever seen, but he wanted to participate. He lubed his fingers up to the best of his ability and then traced around Levi's hole. Watching the way it pulsed and twitched as it swallowed the singer's own fingers made him desperate to feel it himself. His clean hand grabbed firmly onto Levi's wrist, and he gently tugged until his digits slid out. Sitting on his calves, Eren held onto one of his counterpart's hips to steady him. He carefully eased in his index finger, curling it and feeling the contraction of the muscle around it.

Oh, fuck. Eren's fingers were much longer and thicker than Levi's. This felt so much better, and would do the job much faster. The brunet was apparently a fast learner, because before Levi had even realised it, Eren had two fingers shoved up his ass. The lawyer wiggled them and crooked them, pushing them deeper and scissoring them. Every time he did, his counterpart would breathe out a pleased sigh. But he was a greedy man, and he wanted to pull out more, louder. He crooked his fingers again, and felt his middle digit brush against a bump. Levi's body contorted, his chest shooting up off of the mattress as an electric shock of pleasure shot through him.

 _"Fuuuck,"_  he moaned out, falling back onto the mattress and gasping heavily. His head was swimming. He couldn't believe how fast his inexperienced little lawyer had found his prostate.

Curious and craving more of that reaction he'd just gotten, Eren focused on finding that bump again, and once he did, he began massaging his digits into it, scissoring his fingers in intervals. Levi was openly moaning and rolling his hips wantonly back into Eren's fingers, pleasure shuddering through him. Jesus fuck, a virgin shouldn't be this good at fingering already.

Unable to take any more without blowing his load before the real fun started, Levi reached back and grabbed onto Eren's bicep to stop him. "I'm ready," he mumbled, and the lawyer removed his fingers with a squelching noise that made them both shiver.

It took a few moments, but Levi shakily sat up and directed Eren to lay on his back. He ripped off a condom from the string of them and got ready to tear it open.

"Wait," Eren said suddenly, and Levi froze. He locked their gazes, ready at any moment to stop if that's what his counterpart wanted. He really wasn't kidding. He didn't care if his cock felt like it was going to fall off or if his nuts ached from blue balls, he'd stop if Eren wanted to stop. "Do we have to... I mean, can we not use a condom?"

Levi stared incredulously at Eren for several long moments, silence permeating the air. "Eren. You're a virgin, not a fucking idiot." Sighing at the confused silence he was met with in response, he shook his head and pinched the bridge of his nose. "While I can trust that you're clean, being that you're a virgin, you cannot trust that I am. You're a smart man, I know you've heard of safe sex."

"Well, yeah, but if you're adamant about sex being safe, then I doubt you have anything," Eren argued, earning himself a heated glare.

"That's not the fucking point. And I'm sure that that kind of thinking got someone their first STD," Levi bit out, before he huffed and shook his head. "Look, I would love to take you raw, believe me. After this, if you still want to fuck me, and you still want to do it without a condom, I'll get tested, and give you the results. Until you know for a fact that I'm clean, we're using condoms."

"Then I'm going to get tested, too," the lawyer announced diplomatically.

"Why? You're a virgin, so it doesn't matter."

"Don't be a fucking hypocrite, old man. For all you know, I could be lying. Or,  _or_ , I could have something from birth. Ever think of that? If you want to be safe, then we both get tested. Got it?" Eren crossed his arms and glared pointedly at Levi, refusing to budge on the argument.

Levi could admit that Eren had a point, so he conceded. "Fine, I get it," he said, a small smile curling his lips.

He tore open the condom carefully, then opened his mouth and placed it gently between his teeth. Before Eren could ask what he was doing, he leaned down, using his tongue to roll the condom down his shaft and giving his dick a languid suck. Pulling away, Levi straightens up before straddling Eren's hips, positioning himself above his cock. He reaches a hand beneath his ass and takes a firm grasp on the brunet's shaft, holding his dick steady. His other hand comes to rest on a toned tan chest, holding himself steady. The throbbing head brushes against his rim, and he shivers, slowly lowering himself down. The head of Eren's cock breaches his hole, stretching him open almost painfully, and he pauses to suck in a shaky breath. Eren's entire body tenses up from the effort of holding himself still. His instincts scream at him to slam up and into the tight heat of Levi's ass, but he really doesn't want to hurt him and waste all of the prep they'd just done. His core is shaking, but he remains as still as possible, a groan dying in his throat as Levi takes him in inch by inch. It's nearly torture to be swallowed up so slowly, but as soon as the singer is fully seated on his cock, he snaps his eyes shut.

Breath catching in his throat, Eren digs his fingers into the comforter, counting down from 10 and forcing his breathing to even out. Intense pleasure is stemming out from the tight heat on his cock, and he has to take a moment to ensure that he doesn't immediately cum. Once he's sure that he's sufficiently backed away from the edge, he cracks open his heterochromatic eyes and flickers his gaze up to his counterpart. Levi looks utterly sexy; sweat beads on his skin, giving him a sultry glow, and his hair is tousled, waves sticking up and falling the wrong way. Thanking his lucky fucking stars to have such a gorgeous sex god sitting on his cock, Eren slowly unclenches his fist and brings shaking hands up to rest on Levi's slim hips.

Levi wills his body to relax at the intrusion; it had been such a long fucking time since he'd bottomed that he almost forgot what it felt like. Once his muscles loosen back up, he lets out a soft sigh and raises his hips. He captures Eren's gaze with his smoky heather bedroom eyes and drops back down. The brunet releases a guttural moan, his nails biting into the pale flesh that he's gripping for dear life. Levi starts up a slow rhythm, rocking his body and repeatedly impaling himself on Eren's thick cock. It seems to swell inside of his ass, throbbing against his pulsating walls, and the singer lets a pleased hum fall from his lips.

He's unprepared for the sudden sharp thrust that Eren gives, the head of his massive dick dragging over his prostate, and suddenly Levi is keening, his head falling back to expose his throat.

 _"Fuck,_  yeah, just like that," the singer mewls, gyrating his hips slowly.

It takes quite a bit of effort, but they get their movements synced up, and soon the shorter man is bouncing like his life depends on it, hands roaming up and down Eren's chest, nails biting along his musculature. The singer feels like a wanton whore the way he's moaning, his voice breaking at a particularly rough thrust. Every sound he makes get louder as the pressure builds, and suddenly Eren is taking the lead. With a renewed grip on slender hips, the lawyer practically lifts Levi up and drops him back down on his cock sharply. They move in tandem, each chasing their release.

Eren's head tosses back, knocking into the headboard, but he can't find it in himself to give a fuck. He'll most likely be feeling it in the morning. "Feel so good... You feel so good, Levi," he growls out, clawing at Levi's pale hips and ass.

Angling his hips, he helps guide Eren into his prostate, and he's seeing stars at each thrust. The engorged head drags roughly back and forth against the bump, rubbing and sending him into a pleasure-induced delirium. Every moan, mewl, and whine goes straight to Eren's hardness, and he slams up, burying himself in the tight, intoxicating heat. Animalistic grunts and groans flee from his lips, his teeth sinking harshly into his bottom lip as his face wrinkles up. He can't keep his eyes open any longer, pleasure is wracking his body and sending him spiraling. The pressure in his groin is growing, coiling up, and he's desperate for release.

"Fuck, Eren _nnn_ ," Levi moans, the sound ending in a drawn-out whine. "Close, I'm-I'm close. Shit, oh fuck."

"Yeah," the brunet pants, bucking up into Levi with a renewed vigor. "Me too. God, you're so fucking good."

The praise seems to awaken something in Levi, and like a dam breaking, his words come pouring out of him, all filthy and debauched. "Your cock feels so fucking good, Eren," he purrs, digits seeking out the other man's nipples. He gives them a little pinch, watching every expression hungrily through slitted eyes. "Fuck me hard, make it so I can't fucking walk.  _Yes, fuck,"_  he cries out at a sudden, sharp thrust, his head lolling back. His words lose coherence, and expletives and bits of praise and filth flow past his lips.

It drives Eren fucking wild. Without warning, he flips them over and pins Levi into the bed, jackhammering his hips wildly. The bed creaks and groans, headboard slamming violently into the wall with the sudden vigorous movement, and Levi arches his back sharply. His toes curl and he mewls breathlessly, his moans spilling brokenly from his throat. His orgasm is practically ripped from him, sending him careening off the edge and into space. Levi sees white, his body wracked with trembles as wave after intense wave of pleasure crash over him. His mouth hangs open in an 'o', and with Eren's every thrust, it sends him higher. It's nearly too much, but soon the brunet turns and buries his face in the crook of his neck, teeth sinking into his flesh as his hips lose all rhythm and then fall still. Eren gives a long, drawn out guttural groan, his entire body stiffening up before he goes limp.

The two men lay there, entangled, each gasping for breath and riding out their orgasms. Levi is slowly coming back to earth; his head is swimming from the intensity of the pleasure he just experienced, and he isn't quite sure which way is up or down. Eren is the first to come back to his senses, although his body feels like its floating in a tranquil pond, and he's moving a bit sluggishly. He draws back slightly, his glazed eyes studying Levi's features. His long fingers brush a few stray strands of hair out of the singers face, before trailing down to cup his face.

"Do you need anything?" the brunet murmurs, his other hand rubbing soothing circles along Levi's waist.

The singer gets his breathing under control and lets the question float through his head, slowly processing the words and their meanings. "Yeah," he mutters, his voice rough and husky from overuse. He clears his throat, stretching out his body and practically melting into the comforter.

"What do you need, Levi?" Eren prompts again, hiding a smile. He's feeling strangely giddy, but it's a welcome feeling.

Levi grunts, his hands roaming down Eren's strong, broad back. His fingertips trace over the dips in his musculature, relishing in the smoothness of his skin. The lawyer nudges him, asking his question once more, his voice soft and holding all of the patience in the world.

"Water," Levi drawls, his brows furrowing as he contemplates. "And a washcloth."

"Okay, stay here. I'll be right back." The brunet goes to stand up, only to find a surprisingly strong grip holding him in place. He turns a questioning look back to his counterpart, only to have it crumble and be replaced with incredulousness.

How is it that a fucking sex god that men and women all over the world cream over can be absolutely, devastatingly adorable? Levi's bottom lip is jutting out in a pout, and he only tightens his hold on the brunet.

"No," the shorter man huffs, giving no signs that he'll relent any time soon.

Warmth spreads out through Eren's chest, and he leans down, brushing his lips against Levi's sweat-dampened forehead. He travels them along his cheek, before meeting their lips in a soft kiss. A pleased little hum bubbles up in the singer, and the lawyer draws back, thumb rubbing delicately along his counterparts bottom lip.

"It won't even take five minutes. Let me take care of you?" He keeps his tone soft, and after a 10 second staring contest, Levi relents.

His body falls lax as he nods his head, melting back into the bed. Eren slowly climbs to his feet and pulls the condom off, tying the end. He'd almost forgotten about it. He tosses it into a wastebin before searching out his boxers. It takes a minute, considering their clothes are strewn about the room, but soon enough he's slipping into them. His pants are a different story. He knew he shouldn't have worn the monstrously tight leather, but the way they made his ass look was worth it. With a sigh, he squeezed back into them and tugged a shirt over his head. Grabbing his phone, Eren quietly slipped out of the room, pulling the door shut behind him. He did not know his way around Captain America's giant ass house. He also promised Levi he wouldn't take more than five minutes.

There wasn't any way around it, he had to enlist help. Quickly tapping through his phone, he brought up a number and hit call, bringing it up to his ear. He paced away from the door, and after a few rings, the call went through.

 _"What can I do for ya, sweetness?"_ Hange asks without preamble.

Eren keeps his voice low, running a hand back through his hair. "I need to get a few things for Levi and I have no clue where anything is."

The woman squeals loudly, but cuts it short, and Eren winces at the sudden noise. _"Tell me what you need. I'm your girl!"_

"Water, and a, uh, washcloth," the brunet mutters, his face flushing.

 _"I'll be there in two shakes of a lambs tail!"_ Hange shouts before abruptly hanging up.

Blinking slowly, Eren shakes his head with a sigh. It's no use trying to understand her, he'd never figure her out. While he waited, he leaned against the wall, thumbs twiddling with the sleeves of his shirt. It doesn't take long at all before a wild Hange appears in front of Eren, carrying several bottles of water and a damp washcloth. She skids to a stop in her tracks, her mouth falling open as she takes in the lawyer's appearance.

Hange bounces in place, a squeal dying on her lips. She really doesn't want to irritate her best friend right now or draw him out of the room, but holy shit. "That's Levi's sweater!" she whisper-screams, utter delight glistening in her eyes.

Eren looks down at himself, pink tinting his cheeks. He hadn't been paying attention, he'd just grabbed the first shirt his hands touched. Deciding not to acknowledge her statement, he gathered the supplies from her and gave her a stiff thanks, seeing her off before he dared to open the guest room door. He walked back in, locking it without a second thought, and set everything down on the nightstand. He peeled his clothes off as fast as he could, then picked up the washcloth and sat on the edge of the bed. It looked like Levi was asleep, and fuck, he was so absolutely precious.

Careful to be gentle, the brunet began wiping his counterpart down, cleaning away any stray cum. Levi's eyes opened slightly, and he breathed a soft sigh of relief. "Dry cum itches like a fucking bitch."

Snorting a surprised laugh, Eren shakes his head and disposes of the cloth when he's done. He opens a water bottle and passes it to the singer, who drinks it down eagerly. He twists the lid back on, and then looks up at his counterpart expectantly. Eren raises a brow, tilting his head back questioningly.

"Did you expect a written invitation? Get your sexy ass in this fucking bed and spoon me," Levi demands, shoving the covers down so he can slink beneath them.

Eren stifles another laugh, a cocky grin curling his lips up. "A written invitation would be nice, actually," he teases, not budging from his seat.

Levi lets out a long-suffering sigh at the insufferable brat. Gripping onto his wrist, he tugs insistently. "Lay the fuck down, Jaeger."

"Oh, we're regressing back to last names now, are we?"

"Shut the fuck up, you little shit!"

Eren laughs happily, falling next to Levi and wrapping his arms snugly around his smaller form. "You like it. Why else do you keep me around?"

"For the magnificent dicking down you just gave me," Levi grumbles, turning in his grasp until his back is pressed into Eren's broad chest. He snuggles close, relishing in the contact of his counterpart's body. "Tell anyone I like to be the little spoon, and they'll never find your body," he threatens, though they both know it's empty.

Eren draws the blanket up over them, tucking it around Levi. He settles in, running the tip of his nose along the length of the singer's neck, breathing in his scent. He hums softly, holding a little tighter onto his counterpart. "My lips are sealed, old man."

"Tch, brat," Levi yawns, his eyes falling shut. He falls asleep almost instantly, cradled in the warmth of the lawyer that holds all of his affection.

The brunet stays awake for a little longer, turning his thoughts over in his head. He doesn't feel guilty for this; in fact, he feels utterly exhilarated, and like he finally meshes in. He feels like he fits in here. He could never regret this decision, and the skinship he's sharing with Levi makes him feel so utterly soft. The desire still burns within him, brighter than ever. He isn't sure what this is, only that it can't mean anything. But god, does he want to be on this ride. He only hopes that Levi continues to feel the same.

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> I REALLY HOPE THIS CHAPTER WAS WORTH THE WAIT. I HOPE THE SMUT WAS EVERYTHING YOU WERE HOPING FOR. To be honest, it has been a long fucking time since I wrote smut, so I had to get back into it. I hope it wasn't bad or anything. LET ME KNOW IN THE COMMENTS BELOW. I would love your feedback.  
> ALSO, this is important to me, and I wanted to address it down here so I wouldn't spoil anything. Note how much Levi asks for consent. I am extremely adamant about how important consent is. I'm sure I don't have to tell you guys that, but its such a common trope in BL for the bottom to say no and beg for the top to stop (even if they want it) and for the top to be a forceful dickhead. I HATE THIS TROPE. I FUCKING HATE IT. I hate that it's even a cliche. If your story calls for dubious consent, that's perfectly fine. But it is so common in every yaoi anime/manga and I fucking hate it. It stigmatizes gay relationships. SAFE, SANE, and CONSENSUAL. Sex should always be like that. You should never feel uncomfortable or pressured; you can ALWAYS change your mind. YOU CAN REVOKE CONSENT. I know you all probably know this, but I can't stress it enough. You can always say no if you want to. You don't have to do anything you don't want to. I'm a huge advocate for normalising consent, because in so much media today consent is fucking lacking, and that is what is NORMAL in society. It blows my mind.  
> Levi will never do anything that Eren is not okay with, and vice versa. If you're in a relationship with someone, or you're just sleeping together, whatever, consent is so important. Just because you consent once doesn't mean it carries over. Consent is important every time.  
> Sorry for the rant, babes, this topic just gets me fired up. Please leave comments! Share your thoughts on the chapter! Did you enjoy the smut?? Find anything absolutely cute!? Isn't Hange the best friend/wingman a guy could ask for?  
> Until next time! I love you guys, and thank you for being patient with me. I appreciate it so much, and again, I am so sorry for taking an unannounced hiatus. I'm back! All the love. It's 5 in the morning; I'm gonna eat my lunchable and pass the fuck out now.


	17. Bent Over A Table (But It's Not Fun)

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> Hey, guys! It's great to be able to post again so soon after the last chapter. All I want to do is write, and I have Mondays off of work, now, so I'm taking full advantage! This chapter made me really hope that I don't die in some freak accident any time soon so that no one can look at my internet search history. Because let me tell you. Damn. I did quite a bit of research.  
> Thank you guys so, so very much for 300 kudos and over 4,700 hits! I love you all from the bottom of my heart, and your support means the world. It makes me so happy that you are all enjoying this story. So, thank you.  
> Anyway, I'll stop being a sap! I really hope you guys enjoy this chapter! Apologies for any errors, grammatical or otherwise. I'm a one man band and I only gave this a cursory sweep.

It was only a few days after the New Year's party, and Eren was once again throwing himself into work full throttle. He was currently sat in his office, taking his lunch. Fingers dug and tore mindlessly into his cold cut sub, his thoughts consumed elsewhere. Pursing his lips, Eren exhaled sharply through his nose, accidentally smearing mayonnaise onto his mahogany desk. Crumbs were littering his suit, but he hadn't even noticed. It was taking all of his brain-power to contemplate his current predicament. After having awoken with Levi in his arms at Captain America's fucking villa, the brunet was filled with nothing but warmth and an unending lust for the silver-eyed sex god. While the singer was not a morning person in any capacity, he seemed to have a weakness for being blown awake. Any man would, Eren thought, but dismissed it just as fast as it popped into his head. Now wasn't the time to imagine Levi sucking him into awareness.

Regret was nowhere to be found, and Eren was still very much on board with doing... whatever it was that he and his counterpart were currently doing. He immensely enjoyed just hanging out with the other man, but now that he'd pushed aside his anxieties and embraced his deepest desires, he spent an unhealthy amount of time thinking about all the ways they could fuck. Being inexperienced as he was, his imagination was sorely lacking; however, he'd started doing research late at night. Research was an extremely loose term for watching an excessive and extensive amount of gay porn in his pitch black room, on his personal laptop, jacking his dick until he thought it would fall off. It always seemed to start off with the mindset of examination and broadening his horizons, so to speak; he would scrutinize the way they moved, study different techniques, and make mental notes on anything that seemed to be particularly pleasurable. Unfortunately, about a third of the way into whatever video he was using for that night's research material, he would get unreasonably aroused, pay significantly less attention to the porn, and start vividly running through the scenario on screen with Levi and himself as the subjects.

Needless to say, he'd already finished off the box of kleenex he kept on his nightstand, and used a significant portion of it's replacement. He'd never masturbated this much in his whole fucking life. Granted, he never dared to touch himself when he'd been living with his parents, lest they happen to burst in on him and beat the fear of god into him, but still. This was fucking ridiculous. Was he becoming a nymphomaniac after only having had sex once? Levi was an exceptional, universe-exploding lay, but Eren really didn't have anyone to compare him to. Maybe it was always like that. Or, maybe, maybe it would only ever be like that with Levi, and everyone else would pale in comparison. Oh god, did he make a mistake in fucking a sex god? Did he ruin himself for everyone else? Was sex with Annie going to make him want to blow his brains out because it didn't even hold a candle to what it was like with Levi?

Wait—that thought was too far. Annie was a pure, devout woman. There was no way that Eren could think about her in that way. Picturing sex and Annie seemed  _wrong_ , somehow. Like... like making a peanut butter and jelly sandwich, but replacing the peanut butter with mayonnaise. Or worse, turning it into some monstrosity of all three. Eren shuddered unpleasantly, his stomach rolling with the threat of vomit. He suddenly lost his appetite. The lawyer gathered up his decimated lunch and tossed it into his wastebasket, wiping his hands off on a napkin. Looking down at his lap, he grimaced, sighing heavily. He dusted himself off, cleaned his desk with a Clorox wipe, and then sanitized his hands. Jesus, he really needed to get his head screwed back on straight. Or see if Levi could screw his brains back into his head, since apparently he'd left them in Erwin's guest room.

 _Not the time to think about that,_  he thought viciously to himself. The last thing he needed was to pop a boner at work. Poor Historia would be traumatized if she walked in on her boss masturbating. Mentally shaking himself, Eren slammed his forehead down on his desk and shut his eyes tightly. He took deep breaths through his nose and released them through his mouth, counting slowly to 8 with each inhale and exhale. Eren was getting himself worked up for no reason. Anxiety medication was wholly out of the question; his parents didn't believe that mental illnesses were real, so he'd never been treated for it, and he couldn't get it prescribed. He only had himself to rely on.

It took several moments, but eventually, blessedly, Eren's pulse slowly paced itself back to its normal rate, and the tightness of his chest loosened up. He felt like he could breathe normally once more, so he lifted his head up and leaned back in his leather chair, rolling his shoulders. He just needed to focus and keep himself from muddling up his mind.  _Just one thing at a time,_  he coached himself, mussing his hair up with one of his hands. He had a bad habit of piling too much onto his plate at once and exploding into panic. First and foremost, he was positive that he wanted to continue on with his relationship with Levi, whatever it was.  _Doesn't matter,_  he scolded his brain. He wanted to hang out with him, have sleepovers, go to used book stores and hole-in-the-wall cafes, everything they normally did. And he wanted to continue having sex; god, he wanted to have so much sex. Anywhere and everywhere. He also didn't want to be prevented from having sex if the chance arose but there wasn't a condom in sight. So obviously, both of them had to get tested. That was Levi's stipulation for no condoms. That had to be his first course of action.

Determined with phone in hand, Eren shot a text message to Levi, simply confirming that he still wanted them to have sex without a condom, and asking him to get tested as soon as was convenient for him. Once the singer sent an affirmative response, the lawyer decided he needed to make an appointment for his own. A glaring problem quickly made itself known, however. There was absolutely no way that Eren could see his regular physician; he was the Jaeger family's doctor, and even if the brunet asked for his request and results to remain confidential, he had no doubt in his mind that the man would spill to his family. If his parents found out, which they were sure to... he didn't even want to think about what horrors awaited him. As far as Carla and Grisha were aware, Eren was still an utter virgin, and he intended to keep it that way. They would be beyond angry to find out that he had sex before marriage, and if they figured out it was with another man? They'd kill him. Actual, full-blown homicide.

No, there had to be another solution. It had been his idea to get tested as well; it was the smart thing to do. He wanted to be safe just as much as Levi did, and while he was sure his counterpart would just shrug it off if he couldn't manage, he was  _so_  not going to allow them to have sex without a condom if he didn't have test results as well. Eren was a determined, intelligent young man. He would figure this out, and he would successfully get tested for STDs, damnit.

Turning to his office computer, he called up a browser and immediately clicked into Google's search engine. It was time for some (actual) research. His fingers flew over the keys as he typed into the search bar, hit enter, and scanned his eyes over the results. There were the usual "see your primary care physicians," and the obvious "hospitals", but those didn't feel very discreet to him. Several links popped up to Planned Parenthood articles on their website, and this caused Eren to hesitate. Planned Parenthood was a clinic targeted at women, wasn't it? All he really knew about it had stemmed from his parent's abject hatred of it, and he reserved a silent support of it in spite of them. Scrolling the mouse back up to the search bar, he amended his question:  _'Can men get tested for STDs at Planned Parenthood?'_  He pressed enter, and immediately, the very first result that popped up confirmed that he very well could. His eyes glossed over the small blurb about the article, humming to himself; apparently, they had seen an increase in male patients over the past decade. That was certainly reassuring.

His next search was of the closest Planned Parenthood to him, and the number for it. After Eren secured the phone number, he took a deep breath and grasped onto his cellphone, tapping it in. His digit hovered momentarily over the call button, the jitteriness of nerves spreading through his limbs. Eren was an adult; he could make his own appointments. There was nothing to be nervous about. He was just going to be calling a clinic that primarily serviced women, who could very well turn him away.

Before he could talk himself out of it, Eren's thumb pressed the call button, and he shoved the cell up to his ear, taking a shaky breath. As it began ringing, thoughts warred back and forth weighing the pros and cons of hanging up before it was too late.  _Too late,_  his mind whispered as the call clicked through.

 _"Thank you for calling Planned Parenthood, this is Andrea. How may I help you?"_  A friendly voice chirped into his ear, and he swallowed, steeling his nerves.

"Hello, I was wondering if I could possibly schedule an appointment to get tested for STDs?" Wow, that came out a lot more smoothly and confidently than he'd thought it would.

The woman on the other end of the call hummed in affirmation.  _"Of course you can. Our soonest availability is tomorrow at noon. Who is this appointment for, sir?"_

Eren cleared his throat, his free hand tearing at a piece of scrap paper. "Myself; my name is Eren Jaeger. And noon..." he paused as he frantically flipped open his planner and scanned down the next day's agenda. "...works perfectly for me."

_"Glad to hear it, Mr. Jaeger. We'll see you tomorrow. Have a great day!"_

The call ended, and Eren leaned back in his seat, breathing out a deep sigh, relief soothing his nerves. That wasn't so bad after all. He reached a hand up to hit his intercom, connecting him to the reception desk.

"Historia, I'll be taking lunch at 11:30 tomorrow and extending it to 1. Be sure to leave that time frame free, please," he requested. "I have some things I need to attend to, so I won't be in the office."

 _"Absolutely,"_  she trilled, followed by the soft sounds of paper shuffling.  _"I made sure to mark them out so I don't forget."_

"Thanks."

He shut the intercom off and cracked his knuckles, rolling his neck a few times to loosen up. With all of that out of the way, he could once again focus on his work. No more distractions.

* * *

Eren pulled into the parking lot of Planned Parenthood at 11:55 am. He took a few minutes to try and suck in calming breaths, his limbs trembling and knuckles going white with how tightly he clutched onto the steering wheel. The calm of yesterday had long since gone, leaving him in a pool of his own nerves. Logically, he understood that there was no reason to be anxious; his visit would be kept confidential, so no one would ever find out why he was here or what he'd done. It was going to be fine.

The lawyer slid from his car and locked it, unable to waste anymore time attempting to calm himself. With a pounding heart, he strode up to the clinic's entrance and let himself inside, feeling far too ill to take in his surroundings. He trudged his way up to the reception desk, swallowing around the knot in his throat as the receptionist looked up at him.

"Welcome to Planned Parenthood. How can I help you?" the woman asked, a kind smile lighting up her face.

"Uh, I-I'm Eren Jaeger; I have an appointment at noon," he stuttered out, silently cursing himself for letting his nerves show.

The receptionist—Cara, her nametag read—began typing away at her computer, making a sound of affirmation when she found what she was looking for. "Do you have insurance, Mr. Jaeger?"

Blanching, the brunet stared pointedly at the counter, his voice lowering. "I'd prefer to pay out-of-pocket, if it's all the same."

"Not a problem, sir." Cara turned slightly to shuffle through a filing cabinet, pulling out a stapled packet. "You may have a seat in the waiting area. I just have some paperwork for you to fill out." She pushed a stray strand of red hair behind her ear as she faced him once more, attaching the paper to a clipboard. Giving him a warm smile, the receptionist handed him the clipboard and a pen. "The doctor should be with you shortly."

"Thank you," Eren forced out, smiling weakly at the woman.

Taking what he'd been given, Eren headed over to a seat, pointedly keeping his eyes away from other patients. He dutifully filled out the paperwork, leaving the insurance section blank. That would have been a dead giveaway to his parents, and he was in no way that dumb. He could afford to pay up front with his own money. It didn't take very long at all to fill out the paperwork, and once he'd finished, he quickly brought it back to the receptionist and returned to his seat. He began fidgeting nervously, his fingers picking and tugging at the cuffs of his sleeves. His teeth bit into his cheeks anxiously, and he silently counted the seconds it took him to inhale and exhale. Eren tried his best to keep his breathing regulated; the last thing he needed was to hyperventilate and pass out, although he supposed this would be the proper place to do it. Fuck, he was so antsy, and he couldn't help it. Any of the people here could recognize him and go to the press and blab, and he would be truly and royally fucked. Annie would find out, and she would break it off with him. His parents would absolutely skin him alive and then kill him. The whole world would know what a horrible person he was—

"Eren Jaeger?"

His head snapped up as his thoughts abruptly vanished, his eyes landing on a short woman in scrubs. He scrambled to his feet and followed after her numbly, his lungs aching from the immense pressure in his chest. The nurse led him to a room and gestured him towards the bed with a gentle smile. Eren sat, swallowing loudly as the door swung shut. He sucked in a breath, forcing his lips up into a smile.

"My name is Joyce, I'll be taking your vitals, okay?" Not trusting his voice, the brunet nodded, trying to keep his muscles relaxed. Joyce slid a stool over to the bed and sat down, beginning the routine of checking his vision, hearing, and blood pressure. "There's no need to be nervous, Eren," she soothed, pump in hand.

He brought his eyes to hers and stared into them, seeing nothing but warmth and kindness. So far, nobody here had seemed to look at him judgmentally, or freak out at the sound of his name. The tightness in his chest loosened a bit, and he gave a meek nod, taking a shallow breath.

"You have nothing to worry about." Joyce kept talking as he slid his jacket off and unbuttoned his dress shirt so that she could attach the pressure cuff around his bicep. "Nothing discussed here will leave this room. We believe in absolute confidentiality. And getting tested for STDs is all very routine, so there's nothing to be ashamed of, dear."

Eren felt himself relaxing. This nurse was exceptionally kind, and everything she said reassured him further. By the time she'd began pumping the blood pressure cuff, he'd fully calmed down, no sign of his earlier nervousness left. Joyce jotted his results down into a file, gave him a sweet smile, and assured him the doctor would be in shortly to see him, before leaving him alone. The lawyer was bathed in a warm pool of calm, and he breathed a deep sigh as he leaned back and waited.

Within five minutes, a sharp knock sounded on the door before opening, and a bespectacled woman with greying hair pulled back into a bun strode in, all smiles. "Eren Jaeger, I'm Dr. Shultz." She offered her hand, and Eren shook it firmly. "I see that you're here for STD testing?"

Eren nodded in confirmation as she scanned the slim file she held in one hand and typed a password into a computer that sat at a desk. She hummed lightly, setting the file down to pull something up on the computer before adjusting her glasses and turning to look at him with a kind expression.

"I just have a few questions before we begin." Dr. Shultz picked up a pen and glanced down at the file, eyes flickering over a question. "Are there any symptoms you've been experiencing indicative of an STI, such as itching, sores, painful urination, et cetera?"

Shaking his head, Eren cleared his throat. "No, I haven't."

"Okay," she hummed, scrawling on the paper, before lifting her pen away and moving onto the next. "How many sexual partners have you had?"

"Um, one," the brunet said, flushing pink and rubbing his palms against his thighs as Levi popped into his head. "And I'm still... seeing them."

"And do you or your current partner have a history of STDs?"

"I, well, I don't, and I don't know if they do or not," Eren said with a small frown, rubbing at the hair tickling the nape of his neck. "I would assume that they don't, because they're very adamant about safe sex, but I can't be sure of that."

"I see," she murmured as she scribbled away at the file, before offering Eren an apologetic smile. "I hope you don't find this too invasive, but would you tell me what kind of sex you've engaged in?"

Eren went as red as a tomato, his ears burning, but he lifted his head to meet her gaze head on. "Anal and oral." He refused to be embarrassed about this; he had a hard time with it because his parents made him feel like his genitals and anything to do with sex or masturbation was filthy and wrong, all while preaching how it was sacred and only meant for a husband and wife. Talk about confusing.

"How often do you and your partner use protection?" Dr. Shultz asked, returning his mind to the present.

"Uh, well. We've only... had sex once. And we used protection when I was—penetrating, but not when he, um... Not with the oral," he finished lamely, having stuttered his way through his explanation.

"Okay, and lastly," the doctor hummed as she finished up writing her notes in the file. "Have you engaged in any activity that could have potentially infected you, such as sharing needles?"

"Oh, no, not at all," Eren blurted out, his eyes widening slightly at the question. He hadn't expected it, but it did make sense that it would be asked.

Dr. Shultz looked over what she'd written in the file, crossing her legs as she did so. "Well, it looks to me that you're rather low risk. I'm still going to test you, just to be on the safe side, and for your peace of mind." She gave him a bright smile, walked over to the sink and washed her hands, before pulling on a pair of gloves.

"Can you tell me what the tests are? I'm not really familiar with all of this..." Eren asked, raking a hand through his hair as he watched her.

"Of course, Mr. Jaeger, I'd be happy to." The doctor moved to stand in front of him, nothing but friendliness in her expression, and parted her lips to speak. "There is no one test that can be used for all STDs. Therefore, we do a series of them. First and foremost, I'm going to use a sanitized swab to run along the inside of your cheek. After that, we can do the others in whatever order you prefer." She paused in her speech to prepare the swab, prompting Eren to open wide. As she scraped the swab along the inside of his cheek, she continued speaking. "I'll need to collect a blood sample and a urine sample; there is also a physical exam where I examine your genitals for any sores or anything of that nature, and lastly, I'll need to collect a sample of cells from your genitals with a swab."

She carefully placed the swab into an uncontaminated container, sealing it as Eren shut his mouth. He thought the tests over, settling on what he thought would be the easiest. "I'd like to do the urine test next, Dr. Shultz."

"Perfect," she trilled, turning to a drawer and removing an empty container from it. She scrawled his name along the label before handing it over. "The bathroom is just down the hall on the right side. While you do that, I'll have Nurse Joyce prepare to draw your blood."

Eren nodded his head, exiting the room and making his way down the hall. He knocked lightly on the restroom door before letting himself in and locking the door behind him. He unscrewed the cap and set it on the rim of the sink carefully, undoing his trousers so that he could pee in the cup. Once he was done, he resealed it tightly and washed his hands. He exited the bathroom and made his way back down to the patient room he'd been in, walking in and sitting back down to wait for the doctor to return.

Once Dr. Shultz came back into the room, Eren passed over his urine sample, which she set aside. She once again washed and gloved her hands, giving the brunet a reassuring smile. "I'm going to do the physical examination and sample collection before I send you off to get your blood drawn, okay? Please remove your pants and underwear."

As much as he refused to be embarrassed, getting naked in front of a doctor was always awkward. Eren did as asked, standing to remove his trousers and boxer-briefs, setting them carefully on the bed. He stood stiffly and looked everywhere but down as the doctor did her examination. He forced his thoughts elsewhere, ignoring the unpleasant feel of gloved fingers poking and prodding at his genitals. She asked him to turn and bend over the table, so he obliged. The paper crinkled beneath his skin uncomfortably, so he tried his best to focus on the irritating noise of the sanitary paper. An unpleasant shudder ran up his spine as she examined his asshole, and he felt his inner muscles clenching painfully. He didn't quite understand why  _his_  ass had to be checked out when he hadn't been the one to take a cock up it, but he really couldn't fault Dr. Shultz for being thorough. Perhaps she'd misunderstood him earlier. Anyway, it didn't really matter, because shortly after she'd done so, she collected her samples, and he was free to put his clothes back on. Once he was comfortably dressed, Dr. Shultz led him out of the room and down the hall, guiding him to were the Nurse was waiting to take his blood sample.

Eren sat down dutifully in the chair after taking his suit jacket off and rolling up his sleeves. He held his arm out, and Joyce sanitized the crook of his elbow, tied off his bicep tightly, and prodded at his veins until she settled on one. She prepared the needle, having him squeeze a stress ball to make his veins pop more visibly against his skin. The nurse carefully slid the needle into his vein, attaching vials to collect the samples of his blood. Eren made sure to breathe evenly; he didn't really have a problem with getting his blood drawn, it was just needles that kind of freaked him out. After she was done, she cleaned the area and taped gauze over the spot. He thanked her and unrolled his sleeve, shrugging back into his jacket.

Joyce led him back through the hall. "We should have your results in anywhere from a few days to a couple weeks, at most. We'll call you when they're in."

"Would it be possible for me to receive a physical copy of the results, as well?" Eren asked, following her back towards the front of the clinic.

"Certainly," she answered kindly, patting his arm. They stopped in the reception area, and she turned to Eren, patting his arm with a warm smile. "Remember, you've got nothing to worry about."

"Thank you," Eren said, his words full of gratitude as he smiled back at her. Once he'd said goodbye to her, he walked up to the reception desk to pay his bill.

* * *

By the time Friday rolled around, the weather had warmed up slightly. Snow was melting from the glare of the sun, but the air still held enough of a crisp chill to it that a jacket was necessary. This was certainly not the last of the snow; the weather could be slightly temperamental in Trost, but there were sure to be at least a few more heavy snows before winter came to an end. Eren had left work early after receiving a call from Planned Parenthood about his results. He'd gone to the clinic to pick up a physical copy and was informed that he was entirely free of STDs. He hadn't expected any less. After he'd gotten back in his car, he decided that, since he had free time, it was the perfect time to pick up some lube for his house.

First, he just had to stop at home to change into something a little more comfortable and a lot less recognizable. So he had driven home, changed into a pair of loose jeans, a sweater, a beanie, and his combat boots. Then he was back in his car, typing an address into his GPS.

Which was why he was currently sat behind the wheel of his car outside of an imposing little building. He was wasting precious time building up his nerve, and he glanced around the parking lot to make sure no one was paying attention to him. The lot was relatively deserted, small piles of snow shoved up out of the way. Adjusting his beanie, Eren's mind drifted as he observed the sunshine glinting off of the snow. Levi would still be bundled from head to toe and shivering violently, even on such a nice day. A little smile curled his lips; he could practically hear the singer bitching about how his nuts were going to fall off. He chuckled and shook his head, chest full of a warm buzzing.

The lawyer slid out of the driver's seat, locking his vehicle as his boots crunched his way through the snow, his thoughts still lingering on Levi. He looked up at the daunting facade of the building, swallowing nervously as he took in the gaudy blaze of neon lights. He shook the feeling off and braced himself, pulling the door open and stepping inside with an air of faux confidence.

And almost turned right back round to walk out. Maybe coming to a sex shop for the first time on his own hadn't been the brightest idea. This was pants-shittingly terrifying. Wall to wall aisles lined the shop, chock full of so many different sex toys and fetish paraphernalia that it was overwhelming. He could have just gone to Walgreen's or CVS. Why did he think this was a good idea? He wasn't experienced enough to be here, and there was always a possibility that someone would recognize him. He almost envied Levi for being able to shed his No Name persona and be a normal human being. He essentially turned off his fame and could blissfully glide right by his fans whilst they remained unaware of who he was.

It was already too late; he was here, and even though his heart was racing with anxiety, he was terribly curious. So, Eren walked deeper into the shop, his mismatched eyes flicking back and forth as he tried to take everything in. All he needed was lube and condoms. He scanned the aisles, swallowing loudly and paling slightly at all of the bondage gear. He quickly sped into another aisle, feeling overwhelmed. Spotting lube, he groaned softly to himself. There were so many options! Why were there so many options? What was the difference between oil-, silicone-, and water-based lubes? Why were there so many different fucking flavors? Was he supposed to get flavored lube? Which brand was better? god, too many brands, so many choices. Eren was in over his damn head, and he knew it. There was no way he was going to ask an employee for help, though.

Digging his phone out of his pocket, he dialed a number and brought it up to his ear, fidgeting and shifting back and forth. "Come on, pick up," he whispered desperately, staring helplessly at the shelf full of lubricant.

 _"What's up, brat?"_  Levi's voice came through as soon as the call clicked to life, and Eren sucked in a breath of relief.

"I'm at a sex shop, and there's too much fucking lube and I don't know what to get," the brunet blurted out, keeping his voice low.

 _"Woah, calm down. You're where now?"_  A pause and some shuffling as Levi no doubt moved somewhere more private, considering Eren had just heard the sound of Hange shouting.  _"You went to a sex shop?"_

"Yes," Eren stressed, tugging on his beanie loosely with distress. "Which should I get?"

The singer chuckled, incredulousness painting his tone.  _"Eren, I have more lube than I have fingers and toes. You don't have to buy any."_

The brunet huffed, crossing his free arm over his chest. "I need to have some at home," he argued stubbornly.

_"I'll bring some to leave at your house, along with some condoms."_

_"No_  you will not, Levi Ackerman," Eren growled, furrowing his brows. "I can buy my own lube. I just... need some help figuring out which kind."

 _"Oh somebody's getting serious; we're using full names now,"_  Levi teased, his voice dropping dangerously low.  _"I'll assist you_ thoroughly _, Eren Jaeger."_

Eren shivered at the tone in the singer's voice, swallowing noisily and sucking in a shaky breath. He was  _so_  not going to get aroused in a fucking sex shop. He tried to ignore the double meaning and picked up a bottle at random, glancing at the label. "What about oil based?"

 _"It's liable to tear condoms, so that's a hard no,"_ Levi stated instantly, the sound of a lighter flicking to life, and a deep inhalation following. He must have been smoking.

"Well, we're not using condoms, so it doesn't matter," the lawyer flippantly responded, still setting the lube back where he got it from.

His counterpart huffed, his voice taking on an irritated tone.  _"Look, just because you don't want to use them once, doesn't mean you won't want to use them in the future. And if you get an oil-based lube, you're fucked if you_ do _want to use a condom."_

"Jeez, okay  _dad_ , I get it," Eren grumbled, unaware of the sudden silence on the other end. "Just tell me what you recommend."

It took a few moments for the singer to reply, making him feel a little impatient, but finally, Levi coughed slightly and cleared his throat.  _"Water-based is the most common, but it gets absorbed by the skin faster. Silicone doesn't, it's very slippery and is water-proof, but you can't use it with silicone sex toys. It's also hypoallergenic, but the lube we used last time was water-based, and you didn't break out into hives, so I think you'd be fine either way."_

"Okay," the brunet hummed thoughtfully, processing the information. "And what about flavor?"

_"That's up to you, kid. Obviously flavored lube has benefits, if you're intending to use it for oral, but it isn't necessary."_

Eren made a noise of acknowledgment and leaned closer to the shelf, studying. He decided to get two: a flavorless silicone, and a water-based strawberry flavored lube. Hopefully it wouldn't taste awful. With a satisfied sigh, Eren straightened up, then moved down the aisle to glance at the condoms. He mulled over trying to figure out what kind to buy, but shook his head.

"You can bring condoms over when you come over next, because I'm not going through  _that_  again," he grumbled into the receiver, and Levi chuckled.

 _"You got it. I've gotta get back to work, brat,"_  Levi said on an exhale of smoke.  _"We're just wrapping up, so I should be done soon."_

Smiling softly, Eren clutched onto his phone a little tighter. "Okay, old man. Text me."

They exchanged goodbyes, and Eren slid his cell back into his pocket, sighing slightly. He looked down at the lube in his hands, his cheeks growing warm. All he had to do was buy them. There was nothing to be embarrassed about, he was a fully grown adult. Shoving away his embarrassment, he lifted his head and strode confidently towards the front of the store where the cashier was. A sparkling flash of green caught his eye, and he paused, turning to see what exactly caught his attention. A box sat daintily on a shelf, containing a sleek golden butt plug. The end was encrusted with a beautiful many-faceted emerald that glistened everywhere the light hit. Eren chewed on his bottom lip, lifting a free hand up hesitantly to lift it up. It was rather pretty. He studied it, flipping the box over to skim over the words on the back, before he returned to gazing at the gemstone.

"It's on sale," a voice broke through his focus and he jumped, nearly dropping the package. Eren whirled on his heels to face the man who'd spoken to him. He had a nametag pinned to his shirt, so he clearly was an employee here.

"Oh, thanks, but uh," the brunet spluttered, his face flaming. He looked down at the box, hesitatingly inching it back towards the shelf. "I don't know if I should."

The employee flicked his eyes up and down Eren's body, taking in his flushed face. He gave a half-smile. "It's half-off, and those are really expensive, so really, it's a steal. They're also highly rated, and have 20 different vibration patterns. User and beginner friendly." He paused, and the lawyer was still on the fence. He was highly tempted, but he just didn't know if he could walk out of here with a fucking butt plug. He stared down at it, chewing almost viciously on his bottom lip. "Our bags are discreet."

"Well... okay. I'll take it, then." Fuck it, Eren thought. He was a mature adult. He had no reason to be embarrassed. This guy probably saw a lot of shit working here, and the lawyer was most likely not the weirdest.

He followed the employee up to the register, watching him ring up his items. As he slid his card and followed the card reader's prompts, the man opened a blank, opaque black bag, placing his purchases inside of it. Once Eren had written his signature and the purchase was finalized, he took the back with a grateful smile and a thanks, walking out of the sex shop. He climbed into his car, veins thrumming with a sudden rush. He'd done it. He'd bought a sex toy. He went into a sex shop alone for the first time and survived. With a giddy grin, he drove home, bag resting innocuously in the passenger seat.

Eren was pulling into his drive when his phone chirped with a text message. He made sure to park and turn his vehicle off before pulling his phone out and unlocking it. Tapping into the messaging app, he saw that Levi had sent him an image without a caption. He opened it; Levi was standing there, holding an envelope in his hands. He must have gotten his results mailed today.

A moment of debate, and Eren was clicking out of the image, fingers flying over the keys.  _'Come over. ASAP.'_  The brunet looked over at the black bag, his lips pressing into a thin line with determination. He snagged the bag, and climbed out of the car, marching toward his front door.

"Here we go," he muttered, eyes glinting with a bold light.

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> What did you guys think? I really hope you don't find this chapter boring or tedious. I originally had plans to just gloss over the testing and have this and the next chapter be one. However, I recalled how often sexual health is either glossed over or entirely forgotten in media. It is so important to take care of your health, sexual or otherwise, so I really wanted to convey that. I did so much research for this chapter to try and be as accurate with it as possible. I want to see more media portrayals of consent and taking care of one's sexual health. So that's why I included it. I hope that I was able to give a little insight, or make people feel more comfortable.  
> Please leave your thoughts in the comments below! I read and respond to every single one, they mean so much to me. I really care about what you guys think. Let's spark conversation! What do you guys think will happen in the next chapter?  
> My search history is nothing but lube and STDs. Sigh.  
> Hopefully you enjoyed this chapter, and you're looking forward to the next. I'm sorry if any of you found this boring. The next chapter is going to contain so much smut, so I hope you're ready! All the love!


	18. Who's The Real Sex God, Here?

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> Hyello babes! Oh, my god. I am so, so very sorry with how long this took. I was grieving the loss of my 16 year old German Shepherd; he was our family dog, and we had to get him put down at the beginning of February. I also got extremely busy with work and trying to balance out time for my friends. I had a hard time getting motivation to even think about writing. I had this chapter planned out, but I never sat down to write it.  
> However, here it is, and I am back! And I don't ever intend to take that long ever again. This story is my baby, and I want to be able to make progress on it so that I can eventually bring it to a close. Once I got my motivation back, all I did was write. Let me tell you, when I get into the flow of things, I forget to do anything. Like eat, or sleep. I sometimes have to force myself to take a break. You didn't come here to see me rambling, though, did you?  
> This chapter is by far the LONGEST one yet. And there is so much smut. Just. So much. I really hope that it was worth the wait you had to endure. I hope the smut is good, too. I still feel so out of practice.  
> Anyway, enough talk from me. Enjoy the read! I apologize for any errors, grammatical or otherwise. I don't have a beta, and I didn't even read back through this. I'm getting it up so I can go to bed.
> 
> Edit: I've gone through and fixed the many, many errors I found, but I can't promise that there aren't more that I've missed. Hopefully this makes more sense now.

Twisting the keys in the lock with a loud click before wrenching them from his door and sprinting inside, Eren glanced down at the time on his watch. He was certain that it wouldn't be long before Levi arrived after receiving his urgent demand of a text. With a sharply drawn breath, the door was slammed shut and left unlocked. He nearly ran down the hall to his bedroom, flinging the door open and dropping the black bag onto his bed. Eren made a beeline for the en suite bathroom, peeling his clothes off of his body in haste. The lawyer abandoned his cellphone on the counter and proceeded to start his shower up. The room was quickly filling up with steam from the hot stream of water, and Eren hopped in, wincing as his skin screamed under the scalding flow. Turning the temperature to one of a more tepid nature, he relaxed, sucking in a slow breath. Eren nearly melted under the warm cascade of liquid, almost forgetting what the purpose of taking this shower was.

With a jolt, the brunet startled into action, scrubbing his body down almost roughly in order to cleanse away the day's grime. Satisfied with the state of the majority of his skin, he glanced over his shoulder with mild trepidation. He'd done a lot of research. He had learned quite a bit about prepping. His head was full of an amalgamation of information, some more uncomfortable than others. If he was willing to give this a shot, he'd need to be extra thorough with his ass. Pressing his lips into a grim line, he threw caution to the wind with a simple and determined thought:  _fuck it._

Eren spent what he thought was an embarrassing amount of time making sure that  _all_  of him was suitably clean before shutting the shower off and snagging a fluffy towel. He ran it over his damp hair and then half-assedly wiped the moisture from his skin. Treading back into his bedroom, his gaze wandered over to the innocuous little black bag resting atop his mattress. Swallowing noisily, he slowly stepped over to the end of his bed and tugged an edge of the bag down to open it. He glanced inside, drew a deep breath, and snatched the black plastic up into his grasp.

Abandoning the towel on his floor—something he normally never did—Eren slid his knees onto the comforter and settled back into his pillows. He opened the bag once more and carefully removed the lube that he'd purchased, setting it down carefully next to him. Next, and with much more hesitation, he picked up the package containing the buttplug. After discarding the plastic bag on the floor, Eren opened up the cardboard box and removed the plastic casing. He stared down at the golden curvature, observed the glittering of the emerald in his dim bedroom lighting, turned the plastic this way and that to get a really good look at the toy he was considering using. Peeling open the casing, he pulled the plug free and put the box back together. He leaned over to set the packaging onto his nightstand, and then picked the buttplug back up.

It felt cool in his hand, and possessed a nearly buttery smoothness. Turning it, he studied the inlaid gemstone, his fingers running over it lightly. If he recalled correctly from the back of the box, pressing down on the emerald should turn it on. Eren pushed lightly on the jewel—and nearly flew off of his bed as it whirred to life. His cheeks flushed crimson as he scrambled through all of the speed settings until it was mercifully off. Holy shit, were all sex toys that loud? Thank fuck he had never wanted to experiment with them while he lived with his parents. It would have been sure to wake up his entire neighborhood. Fuck, okay. Maybe he  _wasn't_  brave enough to try it.

Eren set the buttplug aside, settled more comfortable against his pillows, and angled his hips up. He wanted to try bottoming, and he also wanted to surprise Levi by getting himself ready for the musician. The brunet hoped that his counterpart would appreciate all the effort he was putting in. Grabbing onto the lube, Eren popped the bottle open and coated the fingers of his right hand. He set the bottle aside, sucked in a nervous breath, and lowered his hand between his legs. This was going to be easy, he chanted in his head unconvincingly. He'd watched Levi do it—hell, he'd even helped—and he had done a disgusting amount of research. He was thoroughly prepared to… prepare himself.

Fingers ghosting against his rim made him shiver, and he closed his eyes. He wasn't going to focus on what he was doing or all the research he'd done. It would only serve to make him feel awkward and uncomfortable. Instead, he forced his thoughts to the back of his mind, evened out his breathing, and imagined that it was Levi's hand between his legs. The singer was experienced; he would know exactly what to do, but he would be sure to tease Eren thoroughly. The brunet smeared lube over his hole, circling the rim with the tips of his digits. It felt  _weird_ , but not necessarily in a bad way.  _Relax, brat,_  he heard Levi breathe out in his fantasy, and his muscles loosened up. The tension in his body melted, and he carefully eased the tip of his index finger past the rim off his ass.

"Oh," he murmured to himself. Again, it felt weird, but not unpleasant.

There wasn't any pain as he carefully inched his finger in as deep as it could go. Eren paused when he was fully seated on his finger and took a shuddering breath. That wasn't so bad. Experimentally, he wiggled his digit, then curled it. Warmth spread up from his groin out slowly, and he felt himself relax even more into his pillows. It actually felt rather pleasant, if he was being honest. The Levi in his mind began teasing him, and he clumsily recreated the motions. His finger moved in and out of his ass, curling and rubbing into his walls, and a little sound rose and died in his throat.

Adding his middle finger was a little bit more of a tight fit, but he was able to get it in with a relatively small amount of pain. He pushed his fingers deep as he got more used to the intrusion, and crooked them sharply, dragging them down over a bump. His back arched up as a shocked sound fell from his parted lips. His cock twitched with interest, and more warmth pooled in his groin as he felt his length hardening. Eren purposefully rubbed slow circles into that spot, sending his pulse rushing in his veins and making lights dance behind his eyelids.

Moans fled past his lips, and his head fell back. He rolled his hips experimentally into his fingers and shivered at the sensation that brought. His skin felt like he'd just grabbed onto a live wire, goosebumps popped up along his arms, and a keening whine got caught in his throat. Why the hell had he never done this before? Eren continued to finger himself, until his cock was fully hard and resting against his abdomen, leaking precum. He cracked open his eyes, glancing down at the glinting gold buttplug. He hesitated, pausing in his ministrations.

Once again, Eren found himself thinking, _fuck it._  He slid his fingers out of his hole with a shudder, and grabbed onto the plug. His other hand blindly searched out the lube, and he stared at the smooth taper of the toy until he finally snagged the bottle.

"Fuck it," he announced out loud, cracking open the lube with a resounding  _pop_.

* * *

Levi's keys jingled as he tossed them into a little dish resting on a table near the apartment door. Hange had barely let him unlock the door before she'd shoved past and made a beeline for the sofa. Absentmindedly, he watched her flop down with a loud grunt. She curled her body up, filthy shoes and all, and buried her face under a cushion with a sigh of relief. The singer momentarily considered scolding her for putting her dirty boots all over  _their_ sofa, but dismissed it just as fast. They'd had a brutal day in the studio, courtesy of Erwin, so he could let her get away with that behavior just this once. Levi cracked his back, turning his focus away from her and sluggishly trod his way to his bedroom. All he wanted to do was crawl beneath his comforters and cocoon for the rest of his life. His mattress was practically screaming his name, and he abandoned the unopened envelope that he'd sent Eren a picture of on his nightstand. He reached forward and selected one of his luxurious pillows carefully, holding it tightly to his chest and nuzzling against it with a relishing sigh.

Just as Levi was about to fall onto his bed haphazardly, his phone vibrated in his back pocket, startling him into jolting. Thousands upon thousands of hateful curses popped into his head, damning whoever had the gall to interrupt his plans, and he began muttering harsh expletives under his breath. Heather eyes hardened into a glare as he continuously clutched his precious pillow against his chest for comfort, and dug his cell out of his pocket with his other hand. As soon as Levi saw the sender, his features softened, becoming warmer. The glaciers he called eyes melted into molten silver, expressing more than his face ever could.

He stared at the name  _'Bright Eyes'_  a few moments longer, recalling with fondness how Eren had stolen the singer's phone and changed the names of all of his contacts. Levi had still been able to figure out who was who without too much hassle, and he hadn't had the heart to change them back. They all made sense in their own way, and now it was like Levi got to hold onto little inside jokes between the two everywhere he went. Erwin had predictably been labeled  _'Captain America'_ , and Hange was now  _'Goggles',_  which were by far much nicer than what the singer had them in there as originally. When he'd seen that the lawyer had put himself under the nickname that Levi rarely called him in moments of affection, it made his heart do backflips up to his throat. Clearly it meant something to Eren to be called as such by the abrasive older man.

Brushing those thoughts aside with a longing sigh, Levi slid open his phone to pull up the message. His brows shot up beneath the fringe of his hair in surprise.  _"Come over. ASAP."_  Well, well, well; it seemed as though his little brat was getting awfully demanding. He supposed the thought did cross his mind that Eren might possibly want to have sex after Levi confirmed he'd received the results of his STD testing, but he'd really tried not to get his hopes up. The singer would be lying if he said that the commanding text didn't send heat licking through his veins, but he decided he wasn't going to give the brat any pleasure at the idea that he couldn't resist him at all. He would take as much time as he could manage to without imploding.

After releasing his hold on the pillow and watching it drop, Levi turned to his nightstand. He folded the envelope in half, sticking it in his back pocket, before tugging open the top drawer and digging through. He normally kept all of his sex paraphernalia beneath the bed in a box, save for lube and condoms. Not like he ever brought people back to the apartment; Hange would scare them away before Levi would even get a chance to get them through the front door. Successfully finding an unopened box of condoms, he hummed triumphantly and then padded over to his closet, yanking the door open. A black duffel bag, already packed, sat out of the way pressed back against the wall, and he knelt down to tug it out. He unzipped it and shoved the box inside before closing it once more. After having had many an impromptu sleepover at the lawyer's house, Levi had started keeping an overnight bag always at the ready. Even if he wasn't intending to stay the night with Eren, he always brought it with him, on the off chance they passed out watching movies.

Tonight, however, he was most certainly planning on crashing in Eren's bed with him. The clothes he brought would be for when he left to return home, and if he wore clothes at all while with the bright-eyed brat, he'd steal one of the lawyer's shirts or something. Slinging the bag over his shoulder, Levi straightened out and marched from his room, pulling the door firmly shut behind him. He made his way back to the front door and shoved his feet into his boots.

Apparently he'd made enough noise to rouse his roommate from the nap she was having on the couch, and after a long, high-pitched whine, Hange lifted her head to glance over at him through squinted eyes. Her glasses sat skewed on her face, drawing a chuckle from Levi when he looked up to acknowledge her.

"Don't wait up for me," he stated blankly, tying knots tightly into his laces to keep his combat boots from sliding about.

Hange lazily catcalled, flopping her head back down onto the pillow while giving her roommate a knowing look. "Off for a midnight tryst with our favorite lawyer, are you?"

Shooting her a mutinous glare, Levi huffed and grasped onto the strap of his duffel to keep it from sliding off of his shoulder. "None of your business, shitty glasses," he grouched. "And it's not even close to midnight."

"So grouchy," she teased. "Hopefully that bitter attitude will get fucked out of you."

"Like hell it will," he spat back, curling up his lip at her. He spun on his heel and snatched his keys out of the dish.

"Be saaafe," Hange singsonged from her position on the couch as he yanked the front door open. "And be sure to give me a full,  _detailed_  report when you get home. I want all the nitty gritty." The bassist hummed, reaching up to tug the ponytail holder out of her hair while she mused. "Actually, film it. That way nothing gets left out."

Shaking his head, Levi flipped her off and strode out the front door, refusing to deign to respond. Seriously, he had no idea who dropped her in the gutter and left her to rot. Oh wait, it must have been his mother. All of the women in his life pried far too much, and didn't seem to understand the idea of privacy. At least his sister had a modicum of decency, considering she was the only one who didn't demand to know details of his sex life.

Levi tossed the bag into the passenger seat as he slid into the car, and buckled himself in after revving it to life. He was surprised that Eren wasn't blowing up his phone yet, considering that he wasn't rushing as fast as the lawyer had demanded. He didn't want to make him wait  _too_  long, and have his brat change his mind, so he pressed down on the gas pedal a little harder. Still, it wasn't like Levi didn't have a penchant for being forever late to everything, so he supposed it might not even matter to the brunet. Hell, he was probably used to his tardiness. It didn't mean it wouldn't aggravate him though. With that in mind, the singer glanced around to watch out for any police cruiser, and eased up into 5 miles over the speed limit. It was doubtful he'd get pulled over for that, considering everyone always took the speed limit as more of a suggestion. However, knowing his luck… Levi dismissed that train of thought with a scowl. Like hell he was going to bring bad luck down on himself with the power of his own negativity.

It took around 15 minutes for Levi to finally pull into Eren's driveway. If he were being honest, he felt like it had taken forever, even though he'd been inching the gas pedal down little by little in his rush to arrive. That didn't matter, though. He was here now. Levi parked behind Eren's Jaguar with ease, shutting his car off. He slipped out of his vehicle and snagged his duffel bag, pulling his sweater tightly around his body. The singer was struck with the sudden realisation that he'd forgotten to put his coat on; he'd been far too distracted with thoughts of the bright-eyed brat that was awaiting him only meters away.

Grumbling to himself, Levi tread up the smooth stone path, already shivering in the chilly weather. Fuck winter. Huffing out a puff of air, his breath condensed immediately upon leaving his lips and mimicked a coil of smoke. He blanched and gave three sharp raps to the beautiful wooden front door. After a full minute passed without a response, Levi shifted from foot to foot and cursed under his breath. It was too fucking cold to leave him waiting outside like this.

The singer slid his phone out of his pocket, numb fingers fumbling to unlock the screen. He tapped out a quick message of,  _"Hurry the fuck up and let me in, you asshole."_  Bouncing on the balls of his feet, he clutched tightly to his body, a shudder running unpleasantly down his spine. Any moment now, he was sure that stupid brunet was going to pull the door open with a sheepish grin and apologize for making him wait.

Only, that didn't happen. Levi growled in frustration, sending a slew of text messages, some extremely crass (such as asking if Eren was stuck on the shitter), others threatening murderous intent. When that didn't seem to work, he dialed the brat's number and pressed the chilled phone screen to his ear. His nose felt like it was going numb, and was sure to be bright red. His cheeks felt chapped as wind whipped against his face, and when he went to voicemail, he snarled out an angry message through chattering teeth. Another five minutes full of waiting passed, and Levi was beyond anger and leaning more towards worry. Eren never left him so long without a response like this. Turning his head he stared hard at the Jaguar in front of his car, making sure that it was really there and he hadn't imagined it. It still existed, so Eren  _had_  to be home. But… What if something had happened? What if he fell into the toilet while taking a shit and got stuck? Maybe Levi had taken too long and he'd fallen asleep. Or… what if someone had broken in?

Oh fuck, what if Eren was slowly bleeding to death, and Levi was just twiddling his dick feet away from him?

That decided it. Levi slid his phone back into his pocket and tried the front door with his numbed hand: it was unlocked. A sense of foreboding washed over him, and he steeled his nerves, twisting the doorknob and pushing it open. He stepped inside, squinting until his eyes adjusted to the dark hall. He shut the door softly behind himself, wetting his lips and swallowing the dryness in his throat.

"Eren?" he tried, voice barely above a whisper and carrying with it the chill from outside. He inched deeper into the house, gripping tightly onto his bag. His free hand slipped into the front pocket of the duffel, freeing a pocket knife from its confines. He silently flicked it out, adjusting his grasp on the blade and wielding it dangerously. Levi moved further into the house, keeping his movements as silent as possible. The warmth seeped into his bones through his sweater, defrosting his chill and minimizing his shivering. The last thing he wanted was to alert an intruder of his presence by the sound of his fucking teeth chattering.

A noise caught his attention, and Levi's body froze, tensing up as his head whipped toward the hall which Eren's bedroom was down. Ready to wield his bag as a weapon and brandish his knife in the face of whatever fuckwad decided to attack his brat, the musician narrowed his eyes and marched quietly down the hall. He clenched his jaw in apprehension, heart thudding in his chest and pumping adrenaline through his body. Another sound rose up from the lawyer's room; the door was firmly shut, but the sound of a groan was unmistakable. Heart leaping into his throat, Levi braced himself and rushed forward, throwing the door open so hard it slammed into the wall, hoping to catch the intruder off guard.

The sight before him made Levi's heart stop, his eyes widening comically as his head jerked back. The knife fell uselessly onto the carpet in front of him, and he dropped his duffel bag as his knees threatened to give out. He drank in every detail he could, desperately wanting to commit this to memory. Eren was bathed in the soft, warm glow of his bedside lamp; his skin possessed a golden luminescence that made Levi's mouth water. The brunet was on his knees, chest pressed firmly into his mattress as his back arched sharply. His fingers curled into claws and dug into his sheets, mussing them up as another keened moan ripped from his vocal cords. The distinct sound of buzzing mixed in with heavy panting, and Levi's heather eyes were drawn to Eren's perfect ass. His eyes widened even further before lidding heavily as arousal pooled in his stomach. He could feel his dick stiffening at an almost alarming rate, and a guttural growl vibrated in his thoracic cavity.

Resting prettily between Eren's spread ass cheeks was a beautiful emerald, glittering in the dim lighting tantalizingly. The brunet must have heard the animalistic sound leave his counterpart, because his head slowly swiveled to stare over his shoulder. Fuck, Levi was so fucking  _weak._  He barely had a grasp on his self control; all he wanted to do was launch himself onto the other man and fuck him so hard into the mattress that he forgot his own name.

Eren gave Levi a lusftul, begging stare, his heterochromatic gaze burning into him and drawing him deeper into the room.

"Levi," Eren breathed erotically, his hips swaying almost subconsciously. The movement caused the vibrating buttplug to brush against his prostate, and his body seized up, back arching sharply as a breathless moan was once again forced from his lungs. "Fuck," he whined. "Fuck me."

The older man almost lost all control of himself. He could hear his sanity cracking, and his cock was so hard it ached painfully in his jeans. "Jesus fuck," he groaned under his breath. "Eren," he spoke lowly, his voice velvety with arousal. "You still need to see my results."

Eren glared weakly at his counterpart, his fingers clenching in his sheets. "I don't give a fuck," he huffed, sounding more winded than frustrated. "Get your fucking cock in me right now, I'm gonna fucking  _die_  if you don't fuck me. Please, Levi," he begged, voice nearly a sob. "Fuck me raw, gimme your thick cock."

Resolve weakening fast, Levi let out a pained sound, torn between giving the delectable fucking being splayed out for him what he wanted  _now_  or waiting that much longer to show his results. "Where'd you learn to talk like that, Bright Eyes," the musician questioned with a groan. This fucking brat was going to be the death of him.

Eren gave him an utterly sinful look, his lips curling up into a coy smile as his eyes flashed with triumph. "C'mon, Levi," he purred, bringing one shaky hand up to grip onto his ass cheek and spread it further open. "I trust you, so just give it to me." Levi was so close to breaking, Eren could tell. All he fucking wanted was for Levi to fuck the breath out of him. He was aroused out of his mind; the buzzing toy was sending him waves of pleasure, but stopped short of making him cum, and he was getting desperate.

Swallowing audibly, Levi gripped onto the last shreds of his self-control with all of the mental strength he had, quirking a brow at the brunet and giving his voice a more commanding tone. "Eren, this is important. This is what we agreed on. I'm not fucking you without a condom until you read my results."

A desperate whine rose from Eren's lips, and he shot as aggravated a glare as he could manage at the singer. "What, are you my fucking dad?!"

The aroused shudder that ran down Levi's spine caught Eren's attention, and he watched the other man's reaction to his words with curiosity in his lidded gaze. It took his lust-addled brain what seemed like forever to decipher what could have possibly been the cause for the utterly debauched look painted onto his counterpart's features. A thought rose out of the fog coating his mind, and he ran his tongue slowly over his bottom lip as he considered it. Eren could try it out; in the state he was in, it really couldn't do him any harm. He was far too horny to feel embarrassed, that much he was aware of, considering how he was sprawled out like a meal for the singer and hadn't once felt shameful for his wanton display.  _Fuck it,_  he thought.

"Daddy," Eren moaned out, eyes locked keenly on his counterpart to observe his reaction.

Levi jolted at the sound, and he felt his cock throb almost painfully against his pants. He ground his teeth together and grasped frantically at his resolve. "You little fucking brat," he growled out, his heather eyes boring straight into Eren's disparate gaze. A pleased hum left the brunet's lips at the discovery of the kink.

The older man yanked the envelope free from his pocket, nearly crumpling it as he tore it open. He unfolded the paper within before reaching forward to tangle his fingers into soft brown locks. Gripping tightly, Levi harshly tugged Eren's head up from his mattress, forcing him to look at the results of his STD testing. The lawyer whimpered at the rough treatment, wincing from the ache and dick swelling further from the rush of arousal it gave him. He forced his bleary gaze to travel down the page, slowly registering all of the negative results. Levi was cleaner than a whistle, but Eren was a little too far gone at the moment to give a shit. Still, if it meant getting his counterpart  _in_  him faster, he'd honor their deal.

"Mine's on the nightstand," he breathed out, and Eren felt his head drop sharply as Levi released his grasp on his hair.

The older man rounded the bed to the opposite side after dropping his results carelessly onto the floor. He snatched the innocent slip of white from the top of the nightstand, flipping it over to read Eren's results. His eyes barely skimmed over the words, registering only every negative. After confirming the state of their sexual health, the tension in Levi's body dispersed. He no longer had to hold himself back. The relief of that single notion put the control right back into his hands.

"Eren," he uttered, the tone of his voice wholly dangerous with the seductive lilt it possessed. His voice had dropped down several octaves, liquid velvet that wrapped around the brunet and made him whine with impatience.

Levi turned slowly on his heel, taking purposeful steps to bring himself back into his counterpart's view. Once sure that he had that disparate gaze focused on himself, he slowly peeled up his sweater, revealing his toned musculature and taught pale flesh. After pulling it over his head, he tossed it to the side, capturing Eren's gaze with his own. The sound of his belt unbuckling with intentional slowness sent shivers dancing over the lawyer's skin, and he sucked in a sharp breath. God, Levi was taking too long, but his eyes couldn't look away, and he hungered for more. He'd never admit just how much the teasing nature of the other man got to him, and he squirmed with impatient arousal.

"Such a good boy," Levi drawled, a wicked smirk splitting his lips. "All nice and clean for me." Dragging the tips of his fingers up over the exposed back of one of Eren's thighs, the singer licked his lips and a low growl rumbled in his chest. "Not only that, but you've prepared yourself so well. You look utterly pornographic."

Skin tingling from the contact, Eren whined desperately, his form shifting to press further into the touch. If he didn't get release soon, he felt like he'd go insane. His need was consuming him in bursts of flames, and he sucked shallow breaths past his lips. He would do anything if only it would just get Levi to fuck him now, faster, to just fucking take him.

Emboldened with frenzied need, the brunet made sure to lock gazes with his counterpart, lips parting to mewl. "Please, Daddy," he begged, desperation etched into his features. He relished in the involuntary squeeze Levi gave to his ass.

This fucking brat was going to be the absolute death of him. He'd never thought that this particular kink would come to light; if there was anything that could make him lose control and rile him up so rapidly it gave him whiplash, it was the dirty way that Eren called him Daddy. Regardless, Levi still needed to make sure that he had his full consent before he completely lost himself.

Swallowing and taking a deep breath to remain in control of himself, Levi stroked his hand down the back of Eren's thigh, keeping his gaze locked on him. "Are you sure you want to do this, without a condom? Remember, you can stop me at any—"

" _Fuck_ , Levi, I love that you care, but shut the fuck up," Eren said, his words spilling from his lips and nearly bleeding together as he cut the other man off. "Please, just—god, fuck me, please, please, I need—I  _want_ ," Eren nearly sobbed, frustrated tears prickling at the corners of his eyes.

Levi broke. The desperation in Eren's voice made his resolve snap, and he lost himself. He didn't want to inflict anymore suffering on his counterpart, and fuck, did he want him more than he had ever wanted anything in his life. His pants and boxer-briefs were shoved down in record time, and he knelt onto the bed directly behind Eren. He placed soothing kisses along the back of his hips and the cleft of his ass as a hand searched out the lube he'd vaguely recalled spotting on the bed. Securing it in his grasp, he generously coated his shaft, grunting at the pained relief of finally applying some friction to his cock. After he was certain that he slathered fully in the lube, he turned his attention to the buttplug still sitting pretty, deep in Eren's ass.

The brunet was chanting a frenzied mantra of  _please, please, please,_  his voice wavering with need. Levi was simultaneously moving far too slowly for his liking, and overloading Eren's senses with pleasurable sensation with his gentle touches. A breath caught in his throat on a moan, and a choked sound left his lips as the singer slowly began removing the buttplug. As soon as it was pulled free, Eren thrummed with relief, yet ached with an emptiness all at once. Levi quickly cycled through it's settings to shut it off and dropped it onto the bed, his full focus brought back to the needy man on his knees.

Gripping onto tanned hips, the older man lined his aching cock up with the twitching hole, nudging the tip against it and drawing a pitiful half-moan, half-whine from Eren's lips. Slowly, he inched himself into his counterpart, shivering and grunting from the tight heat that enveloped him. The brunet's hole welcomed him by pulsating and tightening around his dick, giving the sensation that it was sucking him in, and Levi dropped his forehead onto Eren's back. His eyes shut tightly as he once more grasped at control in order not to hurt his counterpart.

Eren nearly snarled with irritation. How hard was it for Levi to do what the fuck he was called here for and fuck him senseless? "I'm not made of fucking glass," he ground out past clenched teeth. He tensed his muscles up to give Levi's cock an almost painful squeeze. "Fuck me, Daddy," he demanded, tone dripping in sensuality.

"Mouthy brat," the singer growled, his voice dropping so low it sent shivers skittering over Eren's skin. Levi slammed his hips harshly into his ass, the sharp smack of flesh on flesh echoing off of the walls. He was fully seated in the other man, and both of them groaned in pleasure. "You asked for it," Levi purred, the only warning he gave before he dug his nails into the tan hips in his grasp and began roughly thrusting.

Moans, increasing in volume, poured from Eren's lips, the sounds filthy and utterly debauched, and it only spurred Levi on. His thrusts were powerful; he'd pull nearly all of the way out until only the head of his cock caught on the rim of Eren's hole, before sharply snapping his hips forward and plunging himself deeper. Eren's eyes rolled back in his head as pleasure tingled at his skin. His breath was being forced from his lungs faster than he could gasp it in, moans broken and wanton. Arching his back sharply, his fingers sought out something, anything to grip onto, and ended up tangling in his sheets once more. Using his newfound purchase, Eren rocked his body back in tandem with Levi's thrusts, and stars burst behind his eyelids as the singer nailed his prostate dead-on. A soundless moan dropped his jaw, and a line of drool ran down his chin.

Animalistic grunts were forced from Levi's throat as he digs his nails more firmly into Eren's soft hips. One hand raised up to push inky locks saturated in sweat out of his face, and he looked down at the enticingly arched back before him. Every sound that his counterpart made was delectably lewd and only spurred him on, and dirty words involuntarily began pouring past his lips as Eren matched the rhythm of his thrusts with his own body.

"Who's your Daddy?" Levi demanded, baring his teeth and snapping his hips forward harshly. "Who's your fucking Daddy, Eren?" His hand found purchase in Eren's locks, and he tugged up, lifting his head away from the mattress. The movement made his moans sound so much louder, as they were no longer being partially muffled by the padding of the bed. "Answer me when I ask a question, brat," Levi snarled, giving a harsh tug on the soft brown locks in his grasp.

"Levi," Eren sobbed, pleasure wracking every inch of his body. His lips poured forth a litany of the singer's name; moaned, whimpered, mewled, every repetition drove Levi insane, each sound the most beautiful music to grace his ears. It spurred his movements on until he lost all rhythm, pressure building up in his lower stomach.

Eren gave one last desperate cry of his name, his voice broken as he was thrown over the edge suddenly. His cum painted the comforter beneath him, his body coiled up tightly before becoming boneless and sagging onto the mattress. As the brunet's orgasm ripples through his body, Levi shudders harshly and grits his teeth, losing himself in the wild pulsating of Eren's hole. It rips his climax straight out of him, and he releases a drawn out, guttural groan. His hips roll and snap without rhyme or reason, riding out his orgasm as he milks himself dry.

Beneath him, Eren whimpers with oversensitivity, and Levi controls himself enough to slip his cock free. The lawyer fully collapses on his bed, lacking the mental capacity to care that he's laying in his own cum. His counterpart drops down next to him, and they both spend the better part of 30 minutes trying to regulate their breathing and come down from their postcoital bliss. Silence pervades the air around them, save for the sound of their breathing, and peace washes over them. Sluggishly, Eren turns his head to face the other man, and he stretches his neck out, searching for his lips. Levi turns a lazy gaze onto his brat, easily deciphering what it is he wants. Cupping the back of his head, his fingers stroke into the soft brown tresses at the nape of his neck and he leans forward, bringing their lips together. An unhurried, gentle kiss is shared between them, before Eren pulls back, a satisfied sigh leaving him.

The lawyer cuddles up close to his counterpart, and Levi wraps his arms around him. They continue to lay there, until the younger man winces at the itch of dried cum on his skin. He suggests taking a shower together, and Levi helps him up and into the bathroom. They take a languid shower, taking their time in lathering each other's bodies. As water washes away the suds from their skin, Levi rests his head on Eren's chest, closing his eyes and relishing in the feeling of their closeness. The lawyer supports his own weight by pressing his hand into the wall, his other arm curled snugly around Levi's waist.

It stole Eren's breath away how easy it was to be with the other man. There were no expectations weighing his shoulders down, no anxiety pressing onto his chest with the ever-present need to be perfect, no fear of disappointing anyone. Eren felt like he could  _breathe_  for once in his life. If he was being honest, it was scary how easily he could lose himself in Levi. When they were apart, it wasn't difficult for him to get overwhelmed with fear. He couldn't let himself get attached, couldn't let himself stray too far down this unknown path. Fear clutched at his throat, warning him to withdraw before it was too late. His brain screamed at him to avoid developing a deeper attachment on the shorter man, because that could only make things harder and result in far more pain when things came to their inevitable end.

But when he was with Levi…  _God_ , it was a relief that his mind went quiet. All his worries were washed away, pulled into the tide. He didn't have to think about the future and its inevitabilities. He could simply go lax, drift in the here and now, enjoy the moments for as long as he could have them. He wasn't ignorant of what the future demanded of him, yet he could exist in bliss with this gorgeous fucking man without a single care for it.

When they finally finished their shower, Eren waited only long enough for Levi to strip the soiled comforter off of the bed before he crawled into it. The singer didn't need to be given direction to his linen closet, he'd been here enough to be able to find his way around effortlessly. Soon enough, Levi was returning to the bedroom, kicking his duffel bag aside so that he could pull the door shut. Levi reached down quickly to flick the pocketknife shut, placing it on top of his bag, then straightened up and strode over to the bed. He tossed the blanket he'd retrieved overtop the brunet before sliding in with him. Their bodies sought one another out, and soon enough they were a tangled heap of limbs, neither of them sure where the other began and they ended. Eren was out like a light as soon as they got settled, but Levi lay there for a while, staring in the dark at the peaceful look on the other man's sleeping face. His heart fluttered against his ribcage, chest filling with a warmth that left him feeling utterly soft. That softness seemed to exist as a part of him now, it had been appearing more and more often as of late.

He didn't want to think about the cause, so he dismissed it to be thought about for another time. If he was being honest with himself, he would acknowledge that he was only going to keep burying it deeper for as long as possible. Levi knew when not to ruin a good thing. A good thing he was certain wouldn't last forever, but all the more reason to drown himself in it while he still could. With that lingering in his mind, he finally let his tired silver eyes fall shut, and burrowed his face into the crook of Eren's neck, letting sleep pull him down into the abyss.

* * *

Saturday brought a slow rousing into wakefulness for Levi, courtesy of a mindblowing blowjob from Eren beneath the sheets. After they'd finally willed themselves to gain the energy to roll out of bed, mostly because Eren had to piss and his counterpart was starving, Levi sat up with a grumble on his lips and moved to place his feet on the ground. The brunet nearly tripped over himself in his rush to get to the bathroom, and the singer rolled his eyes, huffing out an amused chuckle. He made his way over to raid Eren's dresser, tugging out a pair of sweatpants that looked like they might fit him.

He'd been mostly right; however, they were far too long on him, and looked more like joggers with how low the crotch rested on him. Levi tied them as tightly as they could go, seeing as that they were rather baggy, but they still rode low on his hips despite his efforts. He even had to roll up the cuffs a few times in order to avoid tripping over the excess fabric. After he was done altering his appearance, he ran a hand through his wavy locks and padded out of the bedroom, leaving Eren to get dressed while he sorted out breakfast. Strolling languidly into the kitchen, Levi pulled the fridge open to judge its contents. He raised a brow, impressed that it was well-stocked enough for him to be able to make whatever his heart decided.

He settled on french toast, pulling a carton of eggs, a stick of butter, and a half-gallon of milk from the refrigerator. He shut the door with his hip and set the ingredients on the counter, moving to the pantry to find the rest. Cinnamon and nutmeg were selected from the spice rack, vanilla extract retrieved from next to it, and he juggled a bag of sugar and a loaf of bread into his free arm. Levi made his way back to the counter, setting everything down carefully, and went about searching for a large enough bowl for the mixture. He combined the egg, butter, sugar, nutmeg, cinnamon, milk, and vanilla in the bowl, making sure to thoroughly mix them until they were well combined. Setting a pan on the stove, he flicked it to life and set the heat on medium. While allowing the pan to get sufficiently warm, he opened the loaf and carefully saturated a few slices in the mixture. He wanted to be sure that they absorbed the flavor well; it was his mother's recipe, and he wanted to do her justice. Levi paused, considering that other people probably used the same ingredients and got the same results, but he quickly dismissed it. It didn't really matter.

Dropping a pat of butter into the skillet, he pushed it around with a spatula, watching it melt swiftly. Satisfied that the pan was hot enough, he began laying out as many pieces of bread that could fit. As it cooked, the delectable aroma from the spices filled the air, and it lured Eren out of his bedroom. The brunet waltzed over to his short counterpart, curling his arms around his waist and resting his chin atop his head.

He hummed in delight at the scent, his mouth watering. "I didn't know you could cook," he murmured, getting a little snort out of Levi. He could picture that adorable little smirk that curled his lips whenever he made that sound, and even though he couldn't see it, he was positive it would be on the singer's face. It made his heart skip a beat.

"If I didn't, Hange and I would have starved in college. I wouldn't let that batshit woman near the damn stove after she singed her fucking eyebrows off." Levi rolled his eyes fondly at the memory.

"How'd she manage to do that?" Eren inquired, snickering at the mental image of Hange without eyebrows.

"Well," Levi began, pausing as he flipped each slice over in the pan and gave a satisfied sound at the beautiful golden crisping. "She was about 14, I think, and she was living with us. She wanted to do something nice for my mom, and she swore up and down she could cook. So we were like, what the fuck, why not. I don't honestly know what the fuck she was trying to make, all I know is that there's fucking silence from the kitchen. And Hange is  _not_  a quiet woman, she never has been, so I was already a little suspicious, but I brushed it off. Maybe she was concentrating or something. Out of fucking nowhere she screeches at the top of her lungs, and everyone is just fucking frozen in shock. I'm the first one to have any damn sense, and I sprint into the kitchen. There's just fire shooting up from the stove, and she turned around to face me, and—do you know what that crazy bitch says to me?"

Eren presses his lips together, holding back any laughter as he shakes his head. He tightens an arm around Levi as he reaches a hand up to pull a plate out of the cabinet, setting it on the counter near the stove. The shorter man starts plating the french toast before adding the rest of the uncooked slices into the pan.

"She says,  _'think they'll grow back?'_  with just a fucking wild ass grin splitting her face. I didn't know what the fuck she was talking about because I was too distracted by the roaring fucking flames, but when I got a good look at her, they were just  _gone._ " Levi gives an exasperated huff, lost in his memories.

The brunet loses it, muffling his laughter by lowering his face to rest against the back of Levi's neck. He can just picture a younger Hange, the manic gleam in her eyes, absolutely browless. "What the fuck," he whispers, choking on another laugh.

"Mom was so fucking distraught. But not about the actual fucking  _fire threatening to burn our house down_ , no. She's fussing over Hange, cupping her face, making sure that the hair was the only thing harmed." He rolls his eyes, adopting a higher tone to his voice, mimicking his mother.  _"Mon pauvre bébé, you're not hurt are you? Ma petit ange."_

Eren was in hysterics at this point. He had no fucking clue what was being said in French, but just the mocking tone that Levi took on was utterly priceless. His whole body was shaking from the force of his laughter, and he had to use his free hand to grip onto the counter and steady himself. The singer breathed out a huff of a laugh, leaning back into Eren's warmth after flipping the toast over in the pan. A small smile is curling his lips, delighted at the beautiful sound of his counterpart's uncontrollable laughter.

By the time Eren was able to get ahold of himself, Levi had finished cooking the french toast, and he turned the stove off, moving the pan to a back burner in order to let it cool. The lawyer set about readying their plates while Levi moved back to the fridge, pulling out various fruits to prepare a simple fruit salad. Once everything was made and plated, the two men sat down at the island. Levi had a harder time climbing onto the barstool than the fucking tree next to him, but thankfully he didn't draw attention to it. They passed the maple syrup back and forth before tucking into their food.

After taking a bite, Eren closed his eyes and moaned in delight. It tasted so much better than it smelled, and its aroma was divine. He took his time chewing, before swallowing, and then cleared his throat to gain his counterpart's attention. "So, why was Hange living with you?"

"That's not really my story to tell, kid. You can ask her, if you'd like. I'm sure she wouldn't mind talking to you about it." Levi took a few bites, relishing in the warmth and happy that his stomach was finally getting food. "I can tell you that she's as much a member of my family as I am. If I'm being honest, we weren't very close at first; she was much closer to Mikasa, since they're only 3 years apart. I was 19 when she started living with us. There's just something about that crazy banshee. She worms her way into your life and heart like a damn parasite."

Eren hummed thoughtfully, able to clearly see just how much Levi loved Hange in his expressive heather eyes, despite his words. From what he could tell, the shorter man wasn't very good at expressing affection, or being honest with his feelings, but his eyes always spoke volumes. He could be completely blank-faced as he spat insults at you, but his silver eyes would light with affection and warmth, or glisten with amusement. Eren had a feeling that Levi didn't even realise how much of an open book he was; people just didn't typically get close enough to the abrasive man to be able to read his eyes.

They finished their meal in silence, and cleaned the kitchen and dishes together. Once they were done, Levi wandered into the living room, stretching his arms over his shoulders. Eren found his way right back behind the shorter man, coiling his arms around him the way that he'd done in the kitchen. He laid light kisses along the nape of his neck, letting his fingers trail teasingly down his sides and hips. Levi shivered in his grasp, bringing his own arms up to circle back around Eren's neck. He shifted, tilting his head back with a scowl.

"Hey, brat."

Eren hummed in response, lifting his head up so that he could meet their gazes, mischief dancing in his eyes. The singer gave a gentle tug, pushing up onto his tip toes and capturing those alluring lips against his own. The kiss was slow, unhurried, with a spark of heat kindling just below the surface. Eren deepened the kiss, tightening his hold on his counterpart and running his tongue along his lower lip. Levi obliged, parting his lips and inviting the wet muscle to explore. They languidly kissed, a small noise rising in Eren's throat.

"We have all day," Levi murmured against his lips in between kisses.

That fact didn't stop Eren from taking him against the coffee table in the living room. Rather, it seemed more like the brunet was insatiable and wanted to break in every room he owned. Levi wasn't one to complain, even though he was getting more of a workout than he ever had, especially because they kept switching who topped. His back was practically screaming at him for a break, and he said as much to his brat when he tried to start up another round. They collapsed onto the couch, Eren flicking through Netflix to find a movie to put on.

Levi decided that Eren was the best fucking lay he'd ever had in his life. Everyone else seemed to pale in comparison and be washed away in his wake. Even his "first love", who he let take his virginity, couldn't hold a candle to the absolute beast in bed that was currently sitting next to him. He pulled his legs up, crossing them on the sofa as he leaned his fatigued body towards the taller man. He honestly couldn't believe that he enjoyed bottoming as much as he did topping with the winsome brunet. Sure, he didn't really have a problem with switching in the first place; he just never did it. There was so much vulnerability that came with the territory, and he wasn't willing to relinquish control up to any random fuck he pulled into bed with him. Even when he'd been 15, starry-eyed, and in love with his first boyfriend, he'd only given himself over that once, and even still, he made sure that he was in charge. Levi was either a domineering top or a power bottom, there was no in between. But for some reason, he found the edges blurring with Eren. He was so much more… _vulnerable_ with the lawyer. He almost felt like he'd let his counterpart do anything he wanted to him, and would love every goddamn second of it. That was kind of scary to think about, if he was being honest. He'd never been like that with anyone, even those he'd been head over heels for.

"Hey, Levi," Eren spoke up out of the blue, shutting Levi's line of thought down and pulling him out of his own mind. He turned to acknowledge the other man, who all of a sudden seemed tense and a little nervous. It set his own stomach alight with tingles of anxiety, but he hummed to let the taller man know he was listening. Eren swallowed, clearing his throat, and tore his eyes away from the television. "If you're okay with—I mean, if you don't mind." He stopped abruptly, sucking in a breath. His brow twitched in self-frustration, and he started over. "If you've recovered enough from taking a break, there's… something I wanted to try?"

He phrased it like a question, and Levi was instantly brought back to his previous line of thought. He swallowed quietly, his features smoothing out into a blank mask. "Hoh? What would that be?"

"Actually, I um," Eren hesitated, a flush coloring his cheeks. "Do you trust me?"

"Yes." There was no hesitation in Levi's response; he utterly trusted Eren. Perhaps even with his life, regardless of how foolish that probably was.

The brunet rose up from his spot to disappear down the hall towards his bedroom, leaving the singer there furrowing his brows in confusion. He wasn't left alone for long, because not even a minute later, Eren had returned with a bottle of lube and a renewed light of determination in his eyes. Levi would be lying if he said he didn't find that sexy as fuck.

"Turn and get on your knees," Eren commanded, and  _fuck_  if that didn't get Levi hot.

Doing as he was told, the short man flipped around, easing himself more fully onto the sofa and settling in more comfortably. He didn't bother asking what it was Eren wanted to try; he'd already avoided answering the first time. And as Levi had said, he  _did_  trust him. So he drew his legs up until his knees were firmly planted on the cushion, and he braced his arms against the arm of the couch, resting his forehead atop them.

"Like this?" He purred, dropping his tone down several octaves and lacing it with that sultriness he was so good at adopting.

"Perfect," Eren praised, setting the lube down on the coffee table before moving to kneel behind Levi.

The sound of their own breathing displacing the air is all that the singer heard as his counterpart shifted around. Cool fingers grazed up the backs of his thighs, and he shivered, closing his eyes. Already arousal was pooling in his lower stomach, and he had no idea what exactly Eren was planning to do to him. Excitement made adrenaline course through his veins, and his breath hitched in his throat as the brunet placed both hands on either of his ass cheeks, giving them an involuntary squeeze. Anticipation made his heart speed up, his body tensed with it as Eren dragged his nails down each soft mound. He could hear the other man swallow loudly while he gripped his cheeks and parted them. Levi raised a brow, parting his lips as a question formed on his tongue.

All thought went out the window when something wet and hot tentatively lapped at his rim.  _Oh,_  he mused, lightheaded from the unexpected sensation. All hesitancy seemed to rapidly disappear from Eren as he grasped more firmly to Levi's ass and pressed his face between the cheeks. Levi could feel his hot breath ghosting over the sensitive flesh, and he shivered, his eyes cracking open to lid. He stared blankly at the corner of the coffee table, not absorbing any visual information as that sinful tongue swirled around his rim. An involuntary moan rose in his throat, and it caught on a breath.

Eren had become relentless. His tongue laved, swirled, flickered, and pressed against the twitching hole he was making a feast out of. More sounds were drawn from Levi, and his back arched sharply as he dug his nails into the cushion beneath him. Every little noise the brunet was able to draw out only spurred him on. He wanted to hear more, wanted with every fiber of his being for Levi to become a panting mess beneath him. His body screamed for him to make this sex god weak, to cry out for him and him alone. Eren ran the flat of his tongue roughly against the rim before dipping the tip of his wet muscle into the hole, drawing a strangled sound from Levi.

He prodded deeper, pushing his tongue in and laving at the pulsing and twitching walls. He flicked his tongue and curled it up, exploring everything he could reach. A breathless  _fuck_  fell from Levi's lips, and his body trembled from the pleasure. It should have been fucking illegal how good Eren was with his tongue. He was a damn virgin before the singer had gotten his hands on him, for fuck's sake. How anyone could be this naturally talented was a mystery, but holy shit was he thankful for it. The brunet ate his ass with a voracity and intensity that a pornstar would envy, and his counterpart was keening, begging for more. No one had ever done this to him before, and that was a crying shame, because apparently he was missing out.

" _S'il vous plaît,_  Eren," Levi moaned, the words coming out more like a whine. "Please," he breathed, and Eren thought he was going to blow his load just from the way the other man sounded when he begged.

Thanking all of his lucky stars that neither of them had bothered to put their clothes back on after their second round that day, Eren blindly reached a hand out to search for the lube. He nearly knocked it over, but was agile enough to catch it before it hit the floor, his tongue thrusting and making Levi's toes curl. The singer felt like an utter wreck. His cock was swollen, throbbing, heavy with arousal and bumping into his abdomen with every small roll of his hips. He was desperately rocking back into Eren's face, wanting,  _needing_ , more. Beads of precum were oozing from his tip and dribbling down the length of his dick, and in an attempt to give himself some form of relief, he agonizingly inched his hand down between his legs.

Eren lubed his own cock up, groaning and giving himself an extra pump. He felt more than saw Levi move his arm, and he gave one last lewd lick to the shorter man's rim before he drew his face back. He growled low in his throat when he realised what his counterpart was intending to do, his brows furrowing.

"Don't you even think about it," he warned, the guttural note in his voice making Levi freeze in his tracks and shudder. This kid was absolutely his undoing, and he craved more.

Levi tauntingly wiggled his hips, making his cock sway with the sensual movement. "Then hurry up and fuck me," the singer demanded, velvet voice dripping with sin and breathless with want.

The air was displaced around the singer as he was suddenly flipped onto his back, and he had to swallow back a decidedly unmanly yelp at the shock of it. His lidded eyes locked onto Eren's gold and teal gaze, shivering with the predatory stare watching his every tremor. The brunet was devouring him with his eyes, and it made heat boil him from the inside, scalding his veins.

Levi spread his legs, ankles coming up to hook around Eren's hips and pull him closer. The taller man allowed him to do so, lips descending feverishly onto his gasping ones. The kiss seared into the singer's soul, and he wound his arms around Eren's neck, clawing his nails against his shoulders in an effort to spur him on. The lawyer gripped harshly onto slender hips and lined his cock up, bumping the head against the twitching rim. Without warning, he sheathed himself, and Levi broke the kiss to toss his head back in a soundless moan. Eren rolled his hips back agonizingly slow, teasing the man beneath him to the point of desperate mewls, before slamming all the way back in and burying himself to the base in the tight heat.

The pace he set was brutal, fast, and unforgiving, and Levi moaned loudly, not caring how wanton he sounded. He dug his nails in deep, dragging them down toned tan flesh, clawing up broad shoulders and the strong back he clung onto for dear life. The couch groaned beneath them, but neither of them could even spare a passing thought for it. It would only be comical to have it break under the stress of their current activities, but for now it seemed to be holding strong. Eren's thrusts were almost punishing, and Levi relished in it as he rocked up to meet them. They moved in tandem, the sounds of skin slapping against skin and breathless moans and groans echoing off of the walls around them. Eren leaned his head down, littering Levi's chest with love bites.

They marked each other up with their passion, leaving hickeys, scratch marks, and indentations of teeth. Levi was fastly approaching his orgasm, his moans taking on a thin, reedy tone, and he slammed his head back onto the arm of the couch, not caring that he may have just concussed himself. All that mattered was that Eren had sought out his prostate and was brutally abusing it with every forceful thrust. White bled over his eyelids as he came; it had built up but still somehow managed to hit him out of nowhere, and his whole body went taut with pleasure, broken calls of Eren's name pouring from his lips on breathless moans. Eren was not far behind, his rhythm entirely lost as his orgasm washed over him in an intense wave. He slowed his pace, milking himself for all he was worth, before collapsing bonelessly on top of Levi.

It took a lot longer for them to catch their breath than normal, considering their stamina was a fraction of what it had been this morning. Countless rounds of animalistic fucking would do that to a man, and Levi swore he was too old for this shit. Not like he was complaining. Once their heartrates had returned to normal, and they were breathing like human beings that hadn't just ran a marathon, Eren sat up and slid his cock free of Levi's hole. He leaned back a bit further; the shorter man's legs were still wide open, and Eren used his thumb to spread open one of his ass cheeks. He watched with a dirty fascination as his own cum leaked from Levi's asshole, and he wet his lips.

Levi halfheartedly kicked him in the side with a groan. "You fuckin' pervert," he grunted, almost affectionately. The brat had the decency to look sheepish. "I'm fucking starving to death." He sat up slowly, wincing at the sharp pain in his lower back making itself known. Sure, he had a libido that was off the charts, but he'd never fucked this much in such a short period of time. Once he was sure he'd be able to stand up (even though he felt like a newborn fucking deer), he hit Eren in the chest lightly. "Order pizza while I go wash up. Hawaiian," he demanded.

Eren dutifully did as told, calling in for delivery. He made sure it was large with extra cheese, and also asked for an order of breadsticks. He gave his credit card information, and hung up after they confirmed the order and the delivery time. By the time he'd finished, Levi was coming back. Much to the brunet's disappointment, he was once again wearing his sweatpants. A damn shame, because no one looked better than Levi naked, and while he'd never say it out loud, he loved the way the man looked perched on his couch in all his glory. However, he was pleased to see all of his possessive markings on proud display, decorating the man's chest and neck.

Levi in turn made his brat go clean himself up. He lazed on the couch while he waited for him to come back, and soon enough Eren returned in sweats. The lawyer bypassed him with a quick peck to the lips before padding into the kitchen to get them something to drink. When the doorbell rang, Levi peeled himself off of the couch with a groan and a pinch in his lower back. He snagged a 5 dollar bill from the coffee table and swaggered over to the front door. Pulling it open, he leaned his hip into it and cocked his head back slightly. The pizza delivery man's jaw dropped at the sight of him. His hair was certainly mussed, and he was sure to have a fucked out glow about him, not to mention all of the fucking hickeys the brat had covered him in. He must have been a sight indeed. Levi raised a brow and cleared his throat, expression blank and giving the impression that he thought there was nothing out of the ordinary about him.

The delivery man flushed and stuttered out an apology, removing the pizza and breadsticks from the pouch and handing them over. Levi gave him the $5 as a tip, winking with a salacious smirk curling his lips. He shut and locked the door, before returning to the couch where Eren had sat down during the exchange. The look on his face told Levi exactly how amused he was by the interaction. They ate their dinner, cuddling up close while watching True Blood, poking fun at each other every so often.

It didn't take long before Levi's eyes were drooping with exhaustion, and after they put the leftovers away in the fridge and Eren turned the tv off, they headed to bed.

Levi was looking forward to sleeping in so that his body could recover from all of the strenuous activity he had put it through that day. Unfortunately, he was roused from a dreamless sleep far too early for his liking. The sound of a phone ringing incessantly made him groan, and he rolled over to bury his face in Eren's chest. He knew for a fact, even in his mostly asleep state, that it wasn't his phone: he always kept the damn thing on vibrate. A whine reverberated beneath his ear from the man he was currently leeching warmth from. He heard the sound of skin smacking against wood, and cracked his eyes open blearily.

Eren searched out his phone on the nightstand, roughly yanking the charging cord out of it after he'd finally found it. He was not happy to be woken up. Whoever dared to call him was going to get a fucking earful. He slid his thumb to answer the call and pressed it to his ear.

"H'llo," he mumbled, his voice hoarse and completely shot.

" _Eren Mikael Jaeger, explain to me why you missed Sunday service this morning,"_  Carla demanded, her angry voice harsh and tinny. She was loud enough that Levi could hear her, and his brows furrowed in irritation.

The lawyer shot up off of his pillows, displacing his bedmate from his chest. "M-mom?" He choked on the air he sucked in from the shock and fear that shot through him, and it turned into a coughing fit. Levi, with concern painted over his features, leaned up on his elbow to soothingly rub the tan back. Once Eren got his fit under control, he forced an explanation past his lips. "I'm so sorry, mom, but I'm sick."

" _Sick?"_  the woman muttered in disbelief. After a few moments of silence on her end, she went straight back into berating her son.  _"That may be so_ this _time, young man. But Annie spoke with me today. It seemed you've missed quite a few services over the past few months, and she's concerned."_

"Mom—" Eren started, but was immediately cut off.

" _I don't want to hear it, Eren,"_ Carla spat, venom coating her words.  _"How could you be so reckless?! You could jeopardize everything! You are so lucky she came to me instead of to her father. Pastor Leonhart would revoke his blessing, and you would ruin this for me and your father. Think about your future, Eren! How could you do this to us?"_

"I…" Eren sucked in a breath, his eyes glossing over as anxiety sunk its monstrous claws into his heart. Fuck, he had to think fast. He couldn't stand it, couldn't stand the hate and disappointment that she was lashing him with. He'd rather be hit with fists than be verbally decimated. "I'm really sorry, mom," he said softly, his voice small. "Balancing out work w-with life was really hard for a little while. I just, I just got so busy with new clientele. B-but I sorted it out, I promise mom. Annie brought it up with me first, and I swore to her that the church came first. I'm just, sick this time. I'm really sick, I didn't hear my alarm. I'm sorry." The longer he went on, the smaller he sounded, until he seemed to become a child once more.

Carla was quiet for a few minutes, but it seemed to stretch into hours while Eren waited. He was terrified of what she was going to say to him. Levi had fully sat up and moved behind the brunet, curling his body around him and holding him tight, offering him silent comfort. It was all that was grounding Eren, keeping him away from the precipice of a full blown panic attack.

Finally, his mother spoke. She wasn't concerned or gentle with her words, but she was no longer screaming.  _"You will not mess this up for us, Eren. Your father is very disappointed that it had to be brought up to us in the first place. I want you to understand that if you don't clean up your act, her father will be the next course of action that she's forced to take. Think about your future, what your father and I have worked so hard to give you. Do not throw it all away. Don't waste God's gift. Our Lord is forgiving, but only if you repent. Do you understand me?"_  Her voice was firm, demanding. She would not take no for an answer.

"Yes," Eren whispered, and he sounded like the broken shell of his former self. Carla, seemingly satisfied, hung up without even the breath of goodbye.

Eren dropped his phone, a sob filtering past his lips as his tears welled over his lids.

"Shh," Levi soothed, and the brunet turned in his arms, burying his face in the singer's neck. The shorter man stroked his back, holding him tightly while Eren cried into his chest. It shattered Levi's heart to hear how broken he was.

Anger was a poison in his gut, simmering away viciously. Thanks to how loud that fucking cunt had been, Levi had heard her every word. If this was what the Jaeger's were like, Eren's hesitance and fear were well understandable. Everything truly clicked for him at this moment. He already hadn't liked Eren's parents when he'd called Levi crying on Christmas, but this solidified his feelings. If Carla and Grisha burst into flames in front of him, he wouldn't even piss on them to put them out. Disgust and hatred welled within him; how could anyone ever treat their children the way that the Jaeger's did? Levi wanted to protect Eren from them, to shelter him from their criticisms and harsh words.

It was unfortunate, but Levi could never force Eren to cut ties with his parents. All he could do was offer comfort to him when it was needed. He could only wipe tears, hold him, soothe him with gentle words and offer a kind ear to listen to his problems. This was all he could do, and he hoped that it would be enough.

Fuck, he had never felt so powerless in his life.

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> And there you have it. I really hope you guys enjoyed it! I know we ended on a more sad note, but alas, angst is a part of life and life is a bitch. (I'm life.)  
> What did you think of the smut? Or all of the domestic shit? Or both? I hunger for your thoughts. Was it worth the wait? I truly hope it was.  
> For any of you who don't enjoy bottom Levi, I do apologize for that. I used to be vehemently against it, but I don't know what it is about getting older and finding it hot when switching is involved. (It might just be because I have an inclination for switching in same sex relations, myself, but that might be TMI.) Any position Levi could possibly be in is just delicious in my personal opinion. There will definitely be more switching in future chapters.  
> Any True Blood fans out there? Also, how have you guys been while I've been away on unscheduled hiatus? I have to say I really missed writing for you guys and getting to hear your thoughts. But again, I'm rambling. (I've just been away for too long).  
> Comments are always appreciated! I take the time to read and respond to every single one. Each of you is important, and your thoughts matter to me.  
> All the love, Ritsy.
> 
> Edit: OHFUCK I FORGOT. Daddy kink, anyone??? Lol.


	19. Party for Ponyboy

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> Hyello! Surprise? Another update! My motivation is definitely back, I'm writing like my fucking ass is on fire. It feels so great. This chapter was honestly a fucking blast to write. It has some focus on Eren's friends because I felt bad for leaving them out. The world doesn't revolve around Eren and Levi (as much as I wish it did), so there are definitely going to be chapters like this one in the future. Enough of my talk though, I can't wait for you guys to read this and tell me what you think. Apologies for any errors, grammatical or otherwise. Enjoy, you gorgeous boy/girl/nonbinary babes.
> 
> I'm really excited about this chapter.

Eren had given Levi the spare key to his house. Even though the surprise he'd caused for the singer was everything he'd wanted, the brunet did feel quite a bit of guilt for making him wait outside in the cold for so long. Levi had even offhandedly mentioned that he'd started assuming the worst when he didn't receive a response and the door was left unlocked. Disregarding all of that, Eren had already been toying around with the idea of giving him the second of two spare keys (Izzy had the first) for over a month. They were both busy adults with  _very_  different career paths; they worked long hours, and they didn't always get to see each other. Sometimes they would have spur of the moment meetups just for the sake of getting to see one another, even if they'd had long, intense, exhausting days at their respective jobs. Hell, it even seemed like apart from Levi working and going home to crash when he couldn't function anymore, he practically lived at Eren's place when the lawyer was home. This would just… take the middleman out.

It all came down to trust. Clearly, Levi trusted him with his secret identity, and even with so much more. He displayed a willingness to just take Eren's hand whenever asked, with or without knowing where he was going to be led. The same could be said for himself. If he was being honest, and currently he was trying to be exceedingly honest with himself, he trusted the older man far more than he trusted anyone else in his life. He felt guilty for that, but it was the truth. He had so many walls and barriers up around himself that no one got to slip past. His wonderful little sister, he loved with the entirety of his heart, and he absolutely trusted her… Just not with everything. It wasn't so much like he thought she'd betray him. Eren just wanted to protect her. Ignorance is bliss, as the saying goes, and he was going to shelter her as best as he could while she lived in that house. His best friend, Armin, who he'd known since he was practically in diapers. Armin knew so much, just because he'd been there to witness it, but he didn't know everything. Eren was very good at leaving out details or hiding things that were painful.

Did Levi know all there was to know about Eren? Fuck no, not even a little bit. There was still so much locked up inside. Armin knew things about his past that Levi didn't, but his counterpart knew the person he truly was in the present. He had barriers to hide his past, but the walls he used to protect himself crumbled away at Levi's feet. If one thing could be said to truly express just how much Eren trusted the singer, it would be this: Eren had not cried in front of anyone for as long as he could remember, but Levi had been there when he did. Even as a child, when his life had been far worse than it was now, with Armin by his side, he never cried. He always painted his life as something better than it was, or threw on a smile and acted unaffected. He didn't want anyone to worry, because it was  _his_  life, and he had no choice but to live it. The only thing he could do was to follow his parents' directives to a T; that was what would minimize his pain and make his life a little easier.

A knock sounding at his office door pulled him from his thoughts. He shook his head slowly to try and banish all of the remnants, a small frown tugging at the corners of his lips. That had gotten rather heavy for his tastes, and he was well on the path to thinking about things that he shouldn't. With a clearer mind, he cleared his throat, and looked to the door, calling out for whoever it was to come in.

Of all the people that he would have expected, it wasn't Jean. Eren's eyes widened slightly in surprise, but he quickly masked it and cocked his head to the side. "Hey. What's up?" He would have cracked a joke, but the serious set of his face and the dimmed light in his eyes made him approach in a much more neutral fashion.

"The divorce was finalized," Jean answered gruffly, pushing the door shut before he moved in deeper to plop down in the chair in front of Eren's desk. "My folks are officially separated."

"Jean…" Eren trailed off, unsure of what to say. The fact that his friend's parents had split was arguably a good thing in the long run of things, but still, it had to have been taking a harsh toll on him. He was certainly sympathetic toward the other man. "I—"

"Don't even fucking say that you're sorry," the other man cut him off with a grimace and a dismissive wave of his hand. "You and I both know that it was unavoidable. It's better this way, anyway. I won't get dragged into their shitty fights anymore, and I won't be a flimsy excuse."

"Yeah," the brunet lawyer sighed, leaning back heavily in his chair.

His mind was pulled back to college, to when he and Jean had first met. They hadn't gotten along in the beginning  _at all_. They were always at each other's throats, always trying to outdo one another. It all came down to the fact that they were both extremely strong-willed, stubborn, and had such strong and similar personalities that they just clashed. Even though they'd acted like they hated one another, they'd still managed to become friends. Eren himself wasn't sure how it happened; they would just end up hanging out with each other and exchange snide barbs. He had only realised that they'd become rather close friends when Jean had confided in him one night. Ymir was throwing a party in the house she and a group of other girls were renting, and neither of them had a very good day. If Eren recalled correctly, his father had called to tear him a new asshole over something small. He didn't even remember what it was that he'd done, so it had to be rather insignificant. Instead of getting into a fight with Jean in some stupid testosterone-driven attempt to make himself feel better, the other man had gotten them both a bottle of beer, and they sat on the back stoop together.

Just like he'd recognized how Jean looked like he was in a mood over something now, he'd realised it back then. It was the set of his face and the look in his eye that gave it away. He'd only prompted the sable-haired man with a simple  _'What's eating you, horseface?'_  That was all it took for Jean to spill his guts. According to him, his father had used him as an excuse as to why there was around $1,000 missing from his parents' bank account. It was something along the lines of him needing a little bit more of an allowance that time around for whatever fucking expense his father invented. It wasn't a new experience for Jean. His parents would constantly use him to sneak around on each other. If they were gone later in the evening, it was because his mother took him to dinner (when he'd really sat in the car while she did whatever he didn't want to even think about); the pretty petite blonde with a huge rack was just a college student who was tutoring him to help prepare him for some important exam.

Over and over, Jean was brought into the middle of their relationship, used to hide the fact that they were constantly cheating on one another. And whenever they got into a heated argument, and either of them threatened divorce, the other would slap them with  _'well, what about poor Jeanboy? What would that do to him?'_  All while disregarding the fact that they were fucking him up with using him to keep their shitty secrets. If there was anything the two boys bonded over, it was the fact that their home life wasn't the greatest. Even if they tried to disguise that. Regardless of that bond, Eren never divulged too much. His father was just pissed because x or y. His mother was an overbearing worrywart. It never got deeper than that.

Eren exhaled a silent sigh, pulling himself out of his memories to look over at Jean. He looked like… well, for lack of a better word, he looked like shit. The stress of having his parents separating had obviously gotten to him; it was etched into the bags under his eyes, in the unintentional disarray of his sable undercut, which had gotten quite shaggy and probably could use a good cut. He looked a little dishevelled. He would rather eat his own shoes than admit this out loud to anyone, but he really wanted to do something to cheer his friend up.

"Hey, let's go to The Wall tonight," the brunet announced out of the blue, drawing weary warm brown eyes to regard him. Before Jean could part his lips to argue, Eren forged on. "Come on, it's been a while since we all got together outside of work. Everyone could use a breather. I'll even close up early tonight. We'll invite Marco and his crew from the restaurant. It'll be fun; relaxing, even."

Jean was silent for a few moments while he seemed to debate the pros and cons, before he gave in with a sigh and a shake of his head. "First round's on you, Jaeger."

Beaming, the bright eyed lawyer leaned forward. "Done deal. You go tell the others and call Marco. I'll cancel my 6 o'clock appointment and we can lock up."

Rolling his eyes, Jean stood up from the chair and strode out of Eren's office, leaving him there alone. Once the door had fallen shut, the brunet picked up the phone sitting in its dock and brought it to his ear, tapping a string of numbers into the keypad on the base. After several long rings, his client finally answered, and he apologized smoothly, rescheduling them for an opening the following day. He kept his excuse uncomplicated, simply stating that an emergency had come up. The woman was very understanding, and after he hung up, he leaned back in his chair and melted into the leather.

Until he recalled that he was supposed to have plans with Levi that night. He shot forward in his chair and sunk his teeth into his bottom lip, worrying it and tugging his cell out of his pocket. He slid it to life and typed in his passcode, then pulled up his messaging app. He tapped on his name and started fumbling out a message.

' _Levi, I am so sorry, but I have to cancel on you tonight. My friend Jean needs some cheering up after his parents' divorce finalized, so we're getting our friends together at a bar. I'm really sorry!'_ He sent the message, anxiously shifting back and forth in his seat. He really hoped that the singer wouldn't be upset, or worse, disappointed.

It didn't take long to get a response; his screen hadn't even gone dark yet when his phone chirped and a speech bubble popped up onto the screen.  _'Stop fucking apologizing, brat. That's obviously something important. I don't mind. We can just hang out another time. Okay?'_

Eren exhaled a shaky breath he hadn't realised he'd been holding, and a small smile broke out over his face.  _'Okay. Thank you for understanding.'_

' _Do you think I'm some kind of fucking asshole?'_  Levi responded sassily, and a few seconds later another message popped up before Eren could even think of a snarky comeback.  _'Don't fucking answer that, you little shit.'_

The lawyer laughed softly, his smile spreading into a grin as he shook his head.  _'Don't leave yourself open then, old man.'_

' _I've gotta get back to work, otherwise I'd make you regret calling me old. Before I go, though. Is that Jean kid the horse?'_

Eren barked a loud laugh, typing out a simple yes before dropping his face onto his desk. He smooshed his cheek into the cool wood, rolling his eyes. Leave it to Levi to make him feel so… light. Light and soft. It was so strange, but the brunet had just come to accept it as par for the course. Once his laughter died off, he sat back up and busied himself with shoving files into his briefcase. He might not feel like doing any work at home tonight after he got home, but that wouldn't stop him from bringing it with him. Just in case.

Carrying the briefcase in his grasp, he headed out of his office into the reception area to meet with his employees and friends, ready to get everything shut down and locked up for the night.

* * *

The Wall was a nondescript bar located on the outskirts of downtown Trost. Its location just bordered what was considered the bad side of town, and because of the seedy street in which it occupied, it didn't look like it had seen much business. The outside of the building was dingy, with crumbling masonry and shoddy brickwork. A small sign baring its name hung above the door, lacking any eye-drawing characteristics, or flashing neon lights. From the outside, you couldn't even tell it was a bar. It relied solely on the patronage of regulars or accidental discovery as most people didn't even know it was there. While the facade of the building was entirely unremarkable, it told nothing of what lay behind the doors. The ragtag group of lawyers had stumbled upon it in college when drunkenly barhopping, and it had become one of their regular haunts.

Stepping through the black door for the first time was like running into a brick wall; the inside was beautifully decorated and pristinely clean. It lacked the distinct stench of bar, no lingering cigarette smoke cloud hanging overhead or overbearing alcohol-infused sweat coating the air. Soft music played over the speakers, low enough for patrons to carry on conversation without raising their voices but loud enough that no one could eavesdrop unless you were being significantly loud. The black floors were polished regularly, the walls a muted burgundy and decorated in fascinating art. Elegant barstools lined the bar, and dark cherry-stained circular tables were placed throughout the establishment, ringed with comfortable matching chairs. The Wall had an upper floor and a basement level: Maria Room and Rose Room. The first floor was simply referred to as 'the bar', and had nothing special distinguishing itself from most upscale bars.

Rose Room was on the upper floor. It was carpeted with a luxurious wine red fabric, and the deep teal walls held beautiful filigree patterning. Booths lined the wall, the seats upholstered with a Prussian blue velvet and the intricately carved rosewood tables all evenly spaced. Rose could be considered a billiards room. Pool tables took up the majority of space in the center of the room, and several racks scattered around held innumerable pool cues. The music on the upper floor was typically softer, edging on classical. Patrons were encouraged to bring their drinks up and play billiards, and often men in expensive suits could be spotted having a friendly game between one another.

If Rose Room was rather high-end and classy, Maria Room could be considered her low-brow sister with a wild streak. Wandering down the basement stairs would lead you to a room reminiscent of an arcade and club smashed into one. The floors and walls were black as night, with swirling patterns in neon hues running sporadically along them. Eclectic couches and chairs rested just on the edges of the massive dancefloor, with no other seating to be spoken of. Arcade machines were pushed up all along the walls, their lights flashing enticingly. Down there music throbbed loudly, felt through the soles of shoes, seemingly bleeding from the walls. A DJ's station was at what could be considered the front of the room, and typically a DJ would be found there during the weekends when drunken college kids somehow found their way to The Wall. Neon lights in varying shades strobed above the dance floor, and the blacklights lining the ceiling made everything glow brilliantly against the ebony of the walls. A smaller bar was located down in Maria, probably to dissuade drunken youth from breaking their necks in their attempts to climb the stairs to the first floor for more drinks.

The disparity of The Wall was certainly what kept Eren and his friends coming back. Depending on their moods, they could head downstairs and dance until they dropped when their spirits were high, head on up to relax and challenge each other to pool when they wanted to unwind after particularly stressful cases, or drown their sorrows at the bar. This hidden gem had everything they could ask for in a bar and so much more.

Eren had left his precious Jaguar at work; he'd pulled it around back to park it in the hidden garage to make sure that no one tried to deface it or steal it. He had carpooled with Armin, knowing the blond wouldn't drink much and that if he went a little hard, his best friend would make sure he got home all in once piece. They arrived at The Wall a little after 7. Already night had swept across the sky, swallowing the street in darkness, and as his friends spilled out of their cars, he looked around with a smile tugging at his lips. The air was chilly, but Eren hardly felt it, considering how he was a walking furnace. He couldn't help but to think of Levi then, who would certainly be shivering and freezing his nuts off. Shaking the thought from his head just as fast, he led the way to the door of the bar and held it open. He was here to support Jean, not focus on a man who wasn't even here.

The group strode up to the bartender, ordering whatever drinks tickled their fancy after Jean announced that the first round was on Eren. He looked around at his friends, taking in the light air around them. It really had been too long since they'd gotten together like this, and he felt a little guilty. Ymir had her arm around Historia's waist, and she was leaning down towards her ear, lips brushing the shell so that she alone could hear her. Marco and Jean were holding hands as the latter leaned his other elbow against the bar, and the former laced their fingers together with a big smile splitting his freckled face. Sasha, a waitress that works at Marco's restaurant that they'd all become fast friends with, had also made it to the little gathering, bringing along her fiancé Connie. The two were currently in a heated argument about the proper way to bake and eat a potato.

Armin turned back to look at Eren, his head tilting to the side questioningly. "Eren? Aren't you going to order a drink too?"

"Yeah, space cadet, stop standing their staring like an idiot," Jean chimed in, a snarky smirk tugging the corner of his lips up.

Rolling his eyes, the brunet approached the bar and stood next to Armin. "Shut it, Horseface." He ordered a shot of tequila and made sure to pay for everyone's first drink, before opening a tab just for himself.

The group dispersed throughout the bar, settling in and indulging in mindless conversation. Eren tossed his shot back before ordering a Tequila Sunrise. Once receiving his new drink, he moves off to sit at a table, taking a sip. With his friends distracted, he pulls out his phone and snaps a picture of Armin, quickly sending it to Levi.

A slew of texts pop up on his phone, and he nearly snorts his drink as he chokes on a laugh.  _'Blond coconut', 'No, mushroom cap', 'Wait, I changed my mind, Anna Wintour with a dick, and that's my final answer.'_ The last one utterly destroyed Eren, and he had to cover his mouth to stifle the onslaught of laughter. He didn't want to draw attention to himself. This was certainly his favorite game to play with Levi. The man always outdid himself with new and bizarre insulting names. He captured one of Jean and Marco making goo-goo eyes at each other, waiting eagerly for the singer's response.  _'Freckles and the pony he rode in on.'_

' _You're fucking killing me,"_ Eren responded, snorting unattractively after reading that one. He slid his phone into his jacket pocket and moved closer to his friends, once again remembering just why they had come to The Wall tonight.

He sat around, shooting the shit with his friends and slowly making his way through a few more drinks. They reminisced about college, how they had all met, and what it was like sharing dorm rooms with someone. The night was going well, and they all were enjoying each other's company. The stress seemed to melt away from Jean, leaving his shoulders unweighted and his eyes livelier than they had been for the past few months. He looked more his age again, rather than older and weary. Eren was extremely glad that this was working the way that he'd hoped it would. He wanted Jean to realise just how many people loved him and cared about his well-being. He wanted him to see that he wasn't alone, and that he didn't have to carry the weight of his parents' divorce on his shoulders. After all, it wasn't his fault, and they put him through more shit than anyone should put their own child through.

Eren once more headed up to the bar to order another drink after finishing off his last one, and he turned his head to watch his friends fondly. The couples seemed to get caught up in one another, and the atmosphere took on a softer, quieter air. He breathed a sigh of relief, sitting down at the bar. Ymir and Historia were wandering away from the group, the sneaky look on the former's face telling Eren far more than he needed to know. Not wanting to waste an opportunity, he tugged his phone out and furtively took their picture, sending it immediately to his shorter counterpart.

' _Lesbian Freckles and Princess Saccharine.'_  He snickered to himself, thoroughly amused, and another text came through.  _'It seems like you're having fun, brat. I'm glad.'_

The last message seemed to pierce through Eren's chest, and suddenly he was overwhelmed by the feeling of missing the older man. He held back a wistful sigh, staring down at the message. How could such a crass, blunt man be so thoroughly tender? It made his heart do backflips and beat erratically, and caused butterflies to burst awake in his stomach. He'd said it before, and he would say it again: Levi Ackerman was a complete and utter enigma of a man. Eren just could not figure him out for the life of him.

"You seem distracted, Eren," Armin remarked, his soft voice startling the brunet and making him nearly launch himself from his stool.

He quickly locked his phone and dropped it onto the bartop like he'd been burned. He could feel heat creeping up his neck, along his cheekbones, and over the tips of his ears. Armin thought he resembled a tomato, and hid a smile in his glass of Coke.

Stuttering, Eren tried to cover his ass. "D-do I? Because I'm not. Not at all. Distracted. What are you talking about, Armin? That's a-a weak observation."

The blond raised a brow, looking rather unamused even though his baby blues were lit up with humor. "You've always been a terrible liar, but that was just pathetic. Come on, spill, Eren. What's got you so in your head?"

Face still warm, Eren turned to lock his gaze with Armin's, debating on what to tell him. Not one of his friends knew that he was friends with Levi. It wasn't like they would be able to recognize him as the frontman for No Name by just his name, though, so he wasn't exactly sure why he didn't confide in Armin. It just felt like… it was something he wanted to keep only for himself. But the way that his best friend was looking at him, so kindly and patiently, it made him want to spill the beans. Not all of them, Christ, he wasn't insane. Just. Some of them.

Twirling his phone on the wood, he glanced down at it without really absorbing visual information. "I was just… talking with a friend."

"A friend? Who? Someone I know?" Armin questioned, tracing a line of condensation down his glass while he continued to watch Eren.

"No," the brunet said with a shake of his friend. "His name is Levi. We met last year, he was a client first, but we somehow hit it off."

The blond hummed thoughtfully, nodding his head along. "That's pretty interesting; you never usually like any of your clients. You're too strong-willed when it comes to justice and the idea of right and wrong, and you hate having to represent Hollywood's very own beloved sleazebags. What makes him different?"

Eren was silent while he mulled over Armin's question. It wasn't invasive or simply conversational, falling somewhere in between. It wouldn't hurt to answer it, but he had to firstly organize his thoughts. After all, he was toeing the line of belligerently drunk after having 7 or so drinks. He thought about Levi, about all that he'd learned from him from all of their late night talks. He thought about everything he'd learned from simply watching him, his mannerisms that spoke volumes and his patterns of speech that were so distinctly  _Levi_. He thought about how the way his smile stole his breath, or the fact that he liked to be the little spoon, and was surprisingly cuddly for such an intimidating man. He thought about how he was always so cold, how he looked at snow like it had murdered his whole family. He thought about how Levi could go from being a suave superstar that dripped seduction to an adorable little spitfire who practically drowned in his oversized sweaters.

As Eren thought, Armin observed his best friend, a pensive expression painting over his features and pinching his brow. The blond lawyer didn't know what to make of the look on the brunet's face, he'd never seen it there before. It seemed familiar somehow, but he wasn't quite sure what it was, but it was on the tip of his tongue. Like an itch that needed to be scratched, Armin wracked his brain, trying to puzzle out just what the hell was going on with his friend. His thoughts were put on hold as Eren looked up, his eyes lit up from within and his face glowing, and began to speak.

"At first, it was just the way he spoke that intrigued me," he admitted, his voice low, keeping the conversation personal. "He was just so goddamn blunt and sarcastic, and he said things with such a serious and dour expression I couldn't tell if he was joking. But the words would be so funny that it just struck me as hilarious. He had no filter, but then it seemed like he'd get embarrassed over certain things. I wasn't going to take his case because he pissed me off, but by the end of the meeting I was so curious that I agreed." He paused, wetting his lips and leaning closer to Armin.

The intensity in which Eren spoke with an urgent fervency shocked the blond, and his eyes widened fractionally as goosebumps danced up his arms. "So we met up again, and we talked about his case, but I also got to know a little bit more about him. And then we just kept talking until we became friends. He wasn't and isn't anything like any of those disgusting rich assholes that request my services. He's so much better than them. Yeah, he's blunt, sarcastic, and can be a downright asshole. He doesn't have a charming personality and he comes off as absolutely frigid. His attitude rubs people the wrong way, and he's a short, dour little old man that is completely unruffled when he pisses someone off. But he's so much more than that. He's funny, smart, quick-witted, and amazingly talented. His laugh is contagious and unique, and his smile is the most beautiful thing I've ever seen. And his face isn't very expressive, but god, Armin, his  _eyes._

"His eyes are so piercing and expressive it steals your breath, and they're such an exotic shade of grey. I could drown in them, and I do. I do drown in them." Eren sucked in a breath, not really aware of the fact that he was completely oversharing in his drunken state, but once he'd started talking about Levi, he couldn't seem to stop, didn't want to stop. Fuck, he missed his company. He felt cold and there wasn't a delectable little heat leech to warm him up. "There isn't one thing that makes him stand out, that makes him different. It's everything, Ar. He is so confidently himself and that draws me to him. Like a moth to a flame. And fuck, Ar, he's just so… so—so fucking pretty and hot and mouthwatering and just. Just fuck. I don't—I'm drowning in him."

Realisation shot through Armin like an arrow, and his face morphed into an expression of wonder, his eyes growing to the size of saucers. It dawned on him, plain as a bright, clear-skied day what that look on Eren's face was earlier. The blond didn't understand how he could have missed it, how he didn't understand it sooner. It was all around him, on his friend's faces, in the bar now and daily. He was so  _stupid_. Eren was still going on about Levi, and Armin parted his lips, cutting him off as he leaned forward.

"Eren, you're in—"

"Shots!" Ymir shouted, slamming her fist down on the bar, successfully startling Armin into cutting his own words off. "Krista baby wants to do shots, so we're gonna do shots!"

Historia cheered, throwing her arms around her girlfriend's waist. "That's right, boys! Gather 'round and pick your poison!"

Armin shook his head, smiling fondly as all of his friends cheered. "Count me out, I'm the designated driver."

"You're no fun," Historia slurred, pouting and reaching over to pinch Armin's cheek.

"Someone has to drive, Historia," he scolded lightly, remaining diplomatic, and she begrudgingly agreed.

They ordered a round of shots, each person choosing their preferred alcohol, and once everyone had theirs in hand, barring Armin, Ymir counted back from three. When she reached one, they all downed their shots, whooping and hollering. Eren set his glass down on the bar, having a hard time getting into the suddenly overtly cheery atmosphere. He missed Levi. The brunet slid from his stool, stumbling on unsteady feet, and trailed off towards the staircase leading to Rose Room. No one seemed to notice him wander off by himself, and he sat down clumsily on the stairs.

Pulling his phone up, he squinted his eyes to try and force them into focusing on the screen. It took a few failed tries, but he finally tapped on Levi's contact and hit call, pushing his cell against his ear. It rang only twice, and Levi's voice was like music to Eren's ears.

" _Eren?"_  He asked, concern lacing his tone, and the lawyer felt warm and fuzzy on the inside.

"Levi," he slurred, leaning his head against the banister. "Come'n get me. Miss you," he whined, rubbing at his left eye when it twinged with an uncomfortable dryness.

Levi's heart did somersaults against his ribcage at those words, and he lowered his voice, taking on a soothing tone.  _"Where are you at, Bright Eyes?"_  He quickly shrugged into a jacket and stuffed his feet into his boots. The door was shut firmly behind him and locked after he exited his and Hange's apartment.

Eren peeled his contact out of his eye and tossed it onto the ground, sneering down at it in distaste, before he made an utterly pitiful sound and shut his eyes. "I miss you, Levi, I miss you," he whimpered, his bottom lip pouting out like a child.

" _I miss you too, Eren,"_  Levi reassured, maintaining a gentle lilt in his voice as he jogged down his apartment stairs and out into the complex parking lot.  _"So tell me where you are, so I can come get you. Then we won't have to miss each other, right?"_

"Yeah," the brunet agreed, sluggishly nodding his head. "Come get me." His words came out slowly, like he was talking underwater, but a lot more clearly than his uncle ever spoke when drunk. "'M at The Wall."

" _Good boy, Eren,"_ the singer praised, already buckling himself into his car. He shoved his keys into the ignition and brought it to life, carefully checking his rearview as he backed out of his parking spot.  _"I know exactly where that is, so don't move and wait for me. Can you do that for me, like a good boy?"_

"Mhmmm," Eren hummed, drawing out the syllables. "Don't hang up," he whispered desperately, clutching onto his phone.

" _I'm not, I'm still here, Eren,"_  Levi soothed, pushing his car to go faster.  _"I'm ten minutes away, okay?"_

"Okay," the brunet sighed, shifting and trying to get comfortable against the stair he was currently sitting on. It didn't work. He continued to repeat that he missed Levi, and how much he did so, and would become inconsolable unless his counterpart repeated his sentiments. Which the singer had not one single problem with.

The brat had to be beyond drunk to behave in the way that he was, even more so than the night of the after-party those handful of months ago. Levi continued to console and murmur to Eren to keep him calm, French phrases slipping past his lips in throaty purrs if his taller counterpart started to get out of hand. It felt like time was dragging, but as he'd promised, he made it within ten minutes. Levi pulled up to the curb haphazardly and threw the car into park, unbuckling his seatbelt and jumping from his car.

"I'm here, Eren, I'm outside," he announced, striding towards the front door as fast as his legs would take him.

He made it to within about a yard of the door before it flew open, Eren launching himself through and stumbling out. He tripped over his own feet, his body wobbling as he awkwardly attempted to run. He flew forward, staggering and losing his balance, but luckily Levi was there to catch him. His strong arms encircled the brunet's waist and held him close while Eren buried his face in the shorter man's neck and breathed his scent in deep, bliss washing over him. He was here, he was warm, he was holding him, and he was  _safe._

"I missed you," he drawled out slowly, tongue weighed down with liquor, and nuzzled his cheek into Levi's.

 _"Tu m'as manqué aussi, yeux brillants,_ " Levi murmured, carding his fingers through soft brown locks.

"I can't understand you," Eren huffed, a whine in his voice. "It's so sexy when you speak French," he hummed, seemingly forgetting that he'd just gotten upset about not knowing what his counterpart had said.

Levi chuckled, brushing his lips gently against the brunet's warm foreheard. "I said that I missed you too, Bright Eyes."

Inside the bar, Armin turned to look at the spot that Eren had occupied not that long ago, his heart stopping at realising he wasn't there. He jumped off the stool, spinning around wildly as worry began to thrum through him. He spotted the back of Eren's head just as he flew through the front door, and immediately he sprinted after him. He would have followed him all of the way outside, but the sight of a stranger tenderly wrapping Eren in an embrace gave him pause. He watched the exchange from a crack in the front door, his eyes widening. So that was how it was.

"Come on, Eren, let's get in my car," the singer gently commanded, leading him over to the vehicle, still running and parked crookedly by the curb.

Armin decided that now would be the best time to come out, so he shoved the door open and jogged over to the two men, calling out. "Hey, wait!"

Levi turned his head, already glaring daggers at the approaching figure. He eased Eren into the car as he shifted his body, moving so that he was in a more protective stance. The look on his face was unnerving and vastly threatening, and Armin faltered. That is, until the older man caught a good look at the stranger's face, and his intimidating aura dissipated. His face relaxed back into a blank mask, and his lidded heather eyes flicked up (annoyingly, this brat was  _also_  taller than him. What did these fucking kids eat?) at the blond, filled with the light of recognition.

"You're Eren's friend," Levi stated matter-of-factly. "The blond coconut." His tone was entirely nonchalant, and it made Armin splutter in shock, his face heating up from embarrassment.

"My name's Armin," he corrected, rubbing at the back of his head. "And you're Levi."

"Hoh?" the singer gave the blond a curious look, his brow raising as he assessed him. "The brat told you about me?"

"Leviii _iii_ ," Eren whined impatiently from inside the car, reaching out to grab onto his counterpart's hand and tug. "I'm cold, I miss you."

 _"Tais-toi_ , _mon étoile,"_  the singer murmured as he turned his head back to address the drunken lawyer. "We're leaving soon, okay? Then we'll get you warm. So be a good boy."

"Fine," Eren huffed, releasing his hold on Levi and crossing his arms.

Levi rolled his eyes and turned back to the blond. "Look, kid, you heard the brat. He wants to go home."

"R-right," Armin agreed nervously. "He just told me a little about you, and that you two became friends after you were a client of his." He paused, picking at his nails unsurely. "I can take him home, I'm the designated driver, so I don't mind."

The singer studied the blond lawyer, his lips turned down into a thoughtful frown. "You're a good kid, but I got it from here. I'm willing to bet my entire fucking paycheck that if you try to get this brat into your car, he's gonna have a shit fit. I'll get him home safe. Here," Levi turned and leaned down to his car, opening the glovebox and pulling out a slip of paper and a pen. He jotted his phone number down before turning back to the other man and handing it over. "That's my number. Save it, text me, and I'll let you know when he's home safe. I'll even send you a picture if that'll make you more comfortable."

"No, no, a picture's not necessary," Armin sputtered out, waving his hands in the air. He accepted the number though, and certainly intended to message this strange, intimidating man his best friend was… currently trying to cuddle even though he was buckled in tightly to his seat. "Eren trusts you, so I trust you. He's a good judge of character. Just. Let me know when he's home."

"Can do, kid, now if you'll excuse me, I've got a dumbass drunkard to appease." Levi shut Eren's door after peeling his large hands off of his hips and looked back over his shoulder, tossing out as an afterthought. "It was nice to meet ya, Blondie."

"It's Armin," the lawyer left standing on the sidewalk muttered under his breath uselessly, the shorter man already slipping into his car and pulling his door shut.

Levi buckled his seatbelt as he threw the car in drive and stepped on the gas. Eren reached for his free hand, clumsily tangling their fingers together with a wobbly smile curling his lips. The singer felt his heart skip a beat at the sight before he forced his eyes to focus on the road. The brunet eased down, laying his head in Levi's lap and closing his eyes with a contented sigh. Not for the first time did Levi think that he was in so over his head with this brat, but fuck was it worth every damn second.

"Let's go home, Bright Eyes," he muttered softly, not even sure if Eren was listening, but deciding it didn't matter, as he turned off in the direction of his apartment.

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> And that's a wrap for this chapter! So, what did you guys think? Did you enjoy this update? Super drunk Eren is precious and adorable and must be protected. Please feed me your thoughts, I hunger. Are you liking the pacing of the story? I hope so.  
> Also, Levi tells Eren to "be quiet, my star", towards the end of this chapter. Also also, I don't speak French, I don't know a goddamn lick of it. I briefly took French in like 9th grade, but I don't remember shit. So I'm sorry if it's not accurate, I'm using google translate (like a piece of trash), but damnit French Levi soothes my soul, so I'm keeping it in. So please don't @ me I already know I suck. But if you have actual translational help, that would be super and I would much appreciate. Until then, my shitty google translated French stays.  
> I'm feeling really feisty tonight apparently. ANYWAY.  
> I HAVE AN IMPORTANT QUESTION. I just want to gauge your thoughts because okay. This story is so much longer than I ever intended it to be. I've mentioned it before, but allow me to mention it again: this story was only supposed to be a oneshot. Because I wasn't able to properly convey the kind of emotion I wanted, nor would I have been able to truly capture and captivate you guys and get you to feel for these characters that way, I decided to have it be a full-blown story. Which is awesome, and I love this story. It's my baby. However, it's very long, and we still have a long way to go before I'm done. SO, what my question is, would you rather it be all in one place, or split up. Think of it like a physical book. It wouldn't quite be a series because I'm not going to stretch it out into 3 or more books worth, but like as a book and its sequel. Essentially I want to know if having it all in one fic instead of split in two would make it an easier read or not. Please leave your thoughts below, I appreciate it.
> 
> Now that that's out of the way, I want to know what you guys think of Armin and Levi's first meeting. Or what you think about drunk Eren. Just the chapter in general. Please leave comments below, I read and respond to them all.  
> All the love, Ritsy! See ya guys in the next one!


	20. Dreaded Valentine

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> Henlo you pretty fucks. I know I mentioned a double update in the comments of the previous chapter, but every time I finish a chapter, I cannot, for the life of me, have the patience and control not to post it. SO, that being said, I'm posting this chapter now, and within the next couple of days or so, I will bring you another chapter. I really hope that this one isn't boring, because it's important. It's important in the way that Jaeger vs Ackerman christmas is, so I hope you guys can patiently wait for the following chapter. It'll be a good one!  
> Now with that explanation out of the way, I want to thank those of you who answered my question in the previous chapter. I've decided that this story will all be in one place, and not split up into this and a sequel. We're in this for the long haul, babes, no matter how many words or chapters this ends up being.  
> Please enjoy this chapter! Apologies for any grammatical or otherwise errors!

_**One Year Ago** _

_**February** _

The bedroom was blanketed in a soft darkness, the white noise of a fan blowing the only sound to disturb the silence. A massive lump of blankets and pillows upon the bed seemed to pulsate with life at contrasting intervals, the two occupants buried beneath breathing soft and slow in their slumber. One pale leg was sticking out from beneath the covers, dangling limply over the edge of the mattress, and a singular sinewy arm rested emerged from the blankets, tossed over a pillow. The collection of luxurious cushions ran along the wall, taking up well over half of the bed. They rose and fell, slightly displacing at a sudden shifting in search of comfort, seeming as if they were a living, breathing beast. The other occupant of the bed was fully buried, the only sign of his residency being the angular tan jawline sticking out from a limper pillow. His lips and nose were exposed, and he breathed deeply through his nostrils, lips pressed tightly together. Beneath his burrow, one of his arms curved back behind his head, supporting it because although he was covered in them, he had seemed to forget that the headrests existed, and had instead passed out on nothing but mattress. His other arm was shoved comfortably beneath the pale body next to him and had gone numb from lack of circulation a while ago. The smaller form next to him was pressed close, leeching body heat with his hidden hand clutching onto the sweater that his taller counterpart was wearing. The entire room was enveloped in the gentle pleasantness of night and the comfort of another warm body.

Eren shot up out of the tremendous pile of pillows, sending them flying about the room and cascading to the floor without even the sound of a thump. Confusion lanced through his agonizingly throbbing head, but was soon pushed to the recesses of his mind by the intensity of which his stomach was rolling. It had been so threatening, so adamant, that it wrenched him from a deep, alcohol-infused sleep, and sent anxiety skittering over his skin. He knew for a fact that he was going to vomit, and it was going to be  _soon._  Instincts spurring him into action, the taste of bile coating the back of his throat discomfortingly, Eren scrambled clumsily, desperately in his need to climb out of the bed. Darkness was no ally to him as he blindly launched forward, his limbs flailing, and his body smacked into the carpeted floor, horridly loudly. Unfortunately, the sporadic movement had jostled his stomach, amplifying his need to puke at an alarming rate.

His struggle to flee the bed had sent his elbow straight into Levi's gut, knocking the wind out of him and startling him into wakefulness. Sleep clung to his eyes in defiance, though his lungs burned and screamed for air. He forced himself into lucidity as precious oxygen finally inflated his chest, and he turned to the source of the crashing thud. Eren was sat on his knees, his torso rocking back and forth slightly in efforts to keep calm and hold his vomit at bay. His head swiveled around, confusion once again making itself known as he tried to orient himself in the darkness. He wasn't at home, that much he felt aware of, and as foreign as his surroundings seemed in the blackness that his eyes had mercifully adjusted to, to some extent, he felt a slight familiarity creep up his spine.

All intelligible thought scattered around his brain as his stomach threatened to heave, and he swallowed several times, more than normally so, to rid his mouth of extra saliva. Fuck, he did  _not_  want to puke on carpet, but he especially didn't want to puke at all. It made him extremely anxious, and he was verging on a panic attack at the feeling. If there was anything he hated with every fibre of his being, it was the act of his stomach purging its contents.

"Eren?" Levi murmured, voice coming out gravelly and low, deeper sounding with the remnants of sleep. "You okay?"

Eren frantically shook his head, a whine rising and dying in his throat just as quickly, as the movement of his vocal cords seemed only to make his gut churn and send a wave of nausea so severe it dizzied him. Levi was up and out of bed faster than he could blink, his arm going around the taller man's waist as his other hand pressed against his forehead. The feeling of his counterpart's skin on his was utterly blissful, but it only soothed the heat emanating from his flesh, doing nothing to quell his queasiness.

"You're clammy and burning up," the singer observed, drawing Eren more fully against him carefully, his tone lacing with concern as his voice dropped even lower. "What's wrong, baby?"

"Sick," Eren whimpered out, his hands coming to shakily clutch at the other man.

Levi seemed to get the gist from just that one word, and he carefully helped Eren to his feet, cooing at him to try and comfort him. "Bathroom's this way, Bright Eyes. Come on, I've got you."

The lawyer stepped forward on trembling legs, having enough presence of mind to be extremely grateful for the caring man supporting the majority of his weight. Levi led Eren as fast as he dared to his en suite bathroom, balancing on one foot while pushing the door open with the other, before helping him cross the threshold. He had no time to turn on the light as the brunet made a distressed sound in the back of his throat, his hands coming up to smack loudly in the enclosed space against his lips.

"Shh, shh," Levi soothed, guiding him to the toilet. "It's okay, we're here."

Eren dropped so swiftly to his knees that the shorter man was sure he'd collapsed under his own weight, and he leaned heavily over the toilet, sucking in noisy breaths through his mouth. Levi reached back towards the door, his hand finding the light slider on the wall, and he quickly brought the lights on, but dimly so as not to hurt Eren's eyes. He turned his focus fully back on the taller man, who was hunched over the porcelain bowl, tremors running all along his body as goosebumps sprung to life over his skin. A cold sweat broke out over Eren's forehead, and he shut his eyes tightly, his breathing shallow, nearly hyperventilating from the anxiety and rising nausea. It was going to happen, he couldn't stop it,  _fuck_  did he just want this feeling to go away. Anything to make it go away. It was torture, but his panic was making his body tense up, his stomach refusing to lose its contents now that he'd gotten himself worked up, and the queasiness reached a crescendo, making his ears ring and blackness taint the edges of his vision, on the verge of passing out. He wanted to scream out his panic, to beg this feeling to go away.

His thoughts were silenced as Levi crouched down beside him, one hand coming up to gently card through his hair, calloused fingers rubbing soothing circles into his scalp. His other hand was on Eren's back, stroking up and down, and soft, gentle words were pouring from his lips. He whispered in English and French, using the languages interchangeably as he tried his best to soothe the poor brunet. It was so comforting that Eren forgot his anxiety. The tightness in his chest ebbed away, his muscles unclenching slowly, and he found it easier to draw breath. Still, he found that he couldn't vomit, and tears prickled at his eyes in frustration.

"Eren, baby, you need to let yourself puke. You'll feel so much better," the singer promised, his words finally breaking through the ringing in the brunet's ears.  _"S'il vous plaît, mon étoile."_

Eren shot his hand out, gripping tightly onto Levi's thigh as the other clung to the toilet seat, and his stomach finally heaved. He retched loudly, face bent so close to the hole that his head was nearly in the toilet. He vomited repeatedly, and the entire time, Levi was a constant presence, soothing him, murmuring sweet things in his ear, holding him and stroking him. He was comfort and safety, all that Eren craved in that moment, and that got him through the almost violent purging. Levi pressed as close as space would allow him to, his hand rising to rub between Eren's shoulderblades as he made reassuring noises. His desire to comfort the brunet heavily outweighed his disgust and sympathy nausea. Under normal circumstances, he would be leaning far away from the person puking their guts up, namely Hange, holding their hair and offering a comforting word or two, but the scent of bile would keep him breathing shallowly through his mouth and his eyes turned away. However, none of that seemed to bother him in this current predicament, and he held Eren gently as the younger man began another round of vomiting.

Still feeling incredibly nauseous, Eren sucked in gasps of air as he got a reprieve from constantly expelling out the contents of his stomach. Levi removed his hand from his hair only to reach out and flush the toilet, blessedly removing the pungent odor from curling up around the brunet's face. Eren's eyes were glassed over, tears streaming down his cheeks unbidden from the intensity in which he'd been throwing up. His body tensed as his stomach clenched, and he released a low moan as he began to heave. Nothing was coming out now, but his body seemed determined to wring him dry. He wouldn't even be surprised if a few blood vessels were popping in his face. He coughed loudly, forcing the heaving to pause so that he could suck in a breath, before it hit him fiercely and bent him even further over the toilet.

"It's okay, you're doing so good, you're almost done," Levi whispered, pressing gentle kisses to his sweater-covered shoulder and back. "I'm right here, baby, I've got you."

The smallest amount of bile fled past his lips, and finally,  _finally_  his stomach seemed to calm. The nausea faded away, and he sucked in air through his open mouth. It was over, and sweet relief bloomed in his chest. His sweat made the sweater cling uncomfortably to his skin, and he felt extremely weak after purging so excessively. Eren released his grasp on the toilet to reach up and flush away all evidence, before leaning heavily into Levi for support and comfort. The older man was more than willing to give it, and he held him close, so close he could feel his heart pounding frantically in his chest, could feel the shakiness in his limbs.

Levi eased himself back until he was sitting on the tile floor, leaning his back against the cabinets, and he guided Eren into his lap. The two men sat there, with the singer praising and murmuring adoring words, until the lawyer's heart returned to its normal pace, and his body stopped tremoring. Once sure that Eren could stand, Levi helped him to his feet and led him over to the sink. He opened a drawer and pulled out a brand-new, still in the package, toothbrush. Opening it, he handed it carefully to his counterpart.

"Brush your teeth, I'll get you a glass of water and some aspirin," Levi gently ordered, rising up on the tips of his toes to brush his lips along Eren's jaw.

Eren made an affirmative noise before wetting the bristles and applying toothpaste to the brush. Levi wandered out of the bathroom as he began to brush his teeth almost violently, trying to rid his mouth of the sickening coating of bile. He brushed until all traces were gone, and nothing but a minty freshness sat in the deepest recesses of his mouth. Sighing in relief, he rinsed the brush and set it on the counter next to the sink. Levi had returned before he finished, and guided him back out to the bedroom.

The taller man was made to sit on the edge of the bed, his counterpart leaning over to the nightstand to pick up two little white pills and a glass of water. He placed the pills in Eren's large palm, holding the glass until he'd popped them into his mouth. Eren gratefully took the glass of water and swallowed the pills. Now that he was done puking his guts out, his headache had returned to the forefront of his mind with a vengeance, and he was happy to do as Levi told him to.

"Take the sweater off," Levi said, picking up a damp cloth from his nightstand. When Eren obeyed dutifully, he began wiping his body down, removing any remnants of the cold sweat that had sprung up over his skin. He ran the cloth gently against his forehead and down over his cheeks, trailing it along his throat. Once he was satisfied, he leaned up and tossed it into the laundry basket. "Drink the rest of the water, and we can go back to sleep, okay? You don't have to be up for work for a few hours."

Humming his agreement, Eren slowly drank the entire glass, tilting it up carefully. More sleep sounded utterly blissful, and he was willing to do anything to make Levi crawl back into his arms and snuggle him. He sat the empty glass onto the nightstand, turning expectant eyes onto the singer, and he was not disappointed when he leaned close, situating himself in between Eren's open legs. Levi curled his arms around the lawyer's neck, drawing him close, and lit up when he felt strong arms coil around his waist.

"Are you feeling better now, baby?" Levi crooned, and Eren nodded, leaning forward to press a kiss to his jugular.

"Thank you for taking care of me," he murmured against his skin, causing a shiver to run up and down the paler man's spine.

"Always." They sat like that for a few moments, before Levi pressed his hand firmly against Eren's shoulder. "C'mon, bed, brat. We're wasting our precious few hours." It prompted Eren to slip back, pulling Levi with him, and they fell into bed in a tangled heap of limbs.

A few hours certainly felt like absolutely no sleep at all when an alarm blared loudly and brought Eren into a groggy state of wakefulness. He groaned, annoyed, and tried to pull Levi even closer to him in efforts to return to sleep, but the older man swatted him and struggled his way free. Having no choice but to get up, the brunet whined, increasingly loudly, and rose up from the bed like a zombie, pouting out his bottom lip and shooting a glare at his counterpart.

Levi raised a brow, crossing his arms and cocking a hip as he stood directly in front of Eren. "I'm not the one who drank myself stupid on a work night. Get up, take a shower." Eren parted his lips as if to argue, and the singer got into his personal space, nuzzling against his jaw and pressing sweet kisses up to his ear. "Do as I ask like a good boy, and I'll make you breakfast."

Eren jumped from the bed, his eyes lighting up at the prospect of having more of Levi's divine cooking. Before heading into the bathroom, he smacked the shorter man directly on the ass, making him jolt and release a sound akin to a squeak. A manly squeak. He shot a glare at the brunet, who laughed cheekily and shut the bathroom door behind himself.

Rolling his eyes, Levi trudged over to his dresser, pulling out a pair of skinny jeans and an overly fuzzy sweater. He dressed quickly before waltzing off to the kitchen. Hange was dead to the world in her bedroom, as the two musicians didn't need to be at work until noon that day. Erwin had worked them extra hard yesterday, and in a show of remorse (for once), he told them to get rest and come in at midday. The only reason Levi was even awake right now is because he had a shitty bright-eyed brat to take to work. He couldn't very well tell him to walk. Well, he could, but he didn't  _want_  to. More time with Eren was always a desirable outcome.

With a shake of his head to dismiss the thoughts, he set out to make pancakes with chocolate chips (Hange would be ecstatic, he knew), scrambled eggs, and canadian bacon. He also made coffee for the two shitstains on his life, and brewed a pot of tea for himself. Soon enough, the apartment was filled with the delectable aroma of a well-made breakfast, and while he was careful not to burn anything, his mind was full of thoughts of Eren. Eren, who was utterly beautiful and had been so clingy and needy the night before, it sent his heart into overdrive. His cheeks flushed at the memory, and he shifted restlessly. How could some brat make him feel so… so… He didn't even have the words for it. It was just so  _much_  of many feelings swirling about his chest and making him feel light and soft and warm.

He was halfway through making everything when Eren wandered into the kitchen, dressed smartly in a gorgeous suit. He sidled up behind Levi, curling his arms around his waist and resting his chin atop his head.

"How'd one of my suits get here?" He asked, humming as he breathed in deeply. His mouth was already watering.

"I went to pick it up last night after I brought you here. My apartment was closer to The Wall than your house, and I didn't want you puking in my car," Levi answered smoothly, stacking the very last pancake onto a plate.

"Thank you," Eren nosed along the back of the singer's neck, his voice low and raspy, making him shiver. He pressed a kiss at the base of his nape, tightening his hold on the smaller man.

Levi felt his cheeks flood with warmth, and they colored a pretty, delicate pink. "You're welcome," he murmured softly, before trying to regain control of his runaway heart. "Now get off me and let me finish cooking."

The laugh that left Eren's throat made Levi feel like he'd died and gone to heaven, and the tightening of arms around his waist made his heart jump into his throat. "Not a chance. You've cooked like this before."

"Fuckin' brat," the older man grouched, but he was secretly pleased with the entire situation.

That is, until Hange's bedroom door burst open and she flew into the kitchen. "I smell  _pancakes!"_  She screeched at the top of her lungs, before cutting off abruptly and stumbling to a halt. "Eren!?" Hange had reached a near impossible decibel, her scream of shock and excitement causing both men to wince. "I didn't know you were here!"

"Tone it down, shitty glasses! Fuck," Levi hissed, turning to glare at his roommate. "Or you don't get any pancakes. And these are your favorite kind."

Hange gasped loudly, looking completely offended, before she begrudgingly obeyed. She would do anything for delicious food. The bassist moved to sit at their little dining table, backwards with one leg crossed over the seat and the other dangling at the side. She crossed her arms over the top of it and rested her chin on top of her arms, her chest leaning on the back of the chair. The woman never sat properly anywhere, always seeming to try and outdo herself in ridiculousness. It was something that typically irritated Levi to no end, but today he didn't have the energy to care. Mostly because Eren was still leeching onto him and nuzzling into the back of his neck. Hange had a knowing glint in her eye, but thankfully she kept her mouth shut.

Eren released Levi when the food was finished cooking, moving to help set the table. Once all the food had been placed and everyone had a plate, they all began digging in. The brunet enjoyed every bit of Levi's cooking, fighting the urge to moan out at how delicious it was. The way that Hange ate was the way that she did everything in life: chaotic. She shoveled food into her mouth like she was starving, piling up her plate high. Levi wrinkled his nose as everything on her plate touched, with syrup dripping onto her scrambled eggs and the canadian bacon. She didn't seem to mind the mix, scarfing it down, but the singer had to pointedly not focus on the disgusting mess. His plate had everything perfectly separated; nothing touched, everything had its place, and he was able to enjoy his food without the flavor of egg on his pancake. They joked around, mostly with Levi hissing insults at his roommate as she nearly flung egg across the table, and Eren ran his foot along the outside of his calf beneath the table. When they were all stuffed to the brim, Levi ordered Hange to clean the mess, and gestured for the lawyer to follow him.

The pair strode over to the front door, where Eren carefully pulled on his dress shoes, and Levi shoved his feet into his worn out combat boots. He tugged a jacket on tight, jolting when Eren wound the scarf he'd given Levi around the shorter man's neck. Ignoring the burning in his cheeks, he snagged his keys and the two men walked out the front door and down the apartment steps.

Levi unlocked his car, and Eren slid into the passenger seat. The singer situated himself, buckling his seatbelt and starting the car. Once he made sure that the brat was also buckled in, he pulled out of the parking lot and headed off in the direction of his office. The drive didn't take too long, and they sat in comfortable silence, with Eren clutching Levi's free hand, fingers laced, and resting against his thigh. When Levi pulled into the office parking lot, he slipped into a space and put the car into park.

Turning to face the brunet, he cocked his head slightly and squeezed his hand to get his attention. "I'll have your other suit dry-cleaned to get the smell of the bar out of it, and then I'll bring it over."

"Thanks," Eren said with a smile so bright, it nearly blinded Levi. He noticed a little dimple on his cheek, and it made his heart throb at how fucking adorable it was. "And thanks for coming to get me last night. I don't really remember much, just you showing up and helping me into your car."

"Anytime, brat," Levi replied, dismissing the gratitude. "I made you a promise, remember? Any time you need me, no matter where you are or where I am, I'll come get you."

The warmth that bloomed in Eren's chest was rivaling the sun, and his smile grew, softening his beautiful Caribbean and molten amber eyes. "You don't know how much that means to me," he whispers, trying carefully not to shatter the bubble of whatever the fuck kind of atmosphere they had going. Leaning forward, the brunet planted a soft kiss to Levi's lips, watching the shorter man's eyes flutter shut as he leaned into it. The kiss didn't last long, and as Eren pulled away, he ran the tips of his fingers along Levi's jaw, up into his hair to tuck his fringe behind his ear.

"Don't work too hard, brat," Levi said, his voice thick with some kind of unknown emotion. He quickly leaned forward for one last kiss, before he shooed Eren out of his car. "Come on, you don't want to be late."

Eren simply laughed, gave Levi a dazzling smile, and climbed out of his car.

Levi knew then that he was well and royally fucked.

* * *

A couple weeks had gone by since the drunken debacle, and Eren was entirely unaware of the majority of the night's happenings. The last thing he remembered was sitting down at the bar, and Armin sitting beside him. Everything else was a blur, except for Levi arriving to take him home. He hadn't really had time to dwell on that night, however, because he was far too busy making sure all of his previously taken care of plans were still secured. He'd been calling the restaurant to make sure that his reservations were at the specific time, located in a specific area, and making sure that his bouquet would be ready when he got there. This month had severely aged him, but thankfully after the day was done, and really, it was only until later afternoon that he had to be stressed over this, that aging would reverse, and he would be his usual self once more. He wished he could fast forward to that point, but unfortunately for him, that kind of technology didn't exist. A damn shame.

Decked out in his only tuxedo, which fit to him perfectly and was made of some decadent fabric, Eren stood at the back of a small line impatiently. It was midday, and he was standing in the middle of a flower shop, checking his watch every couple seconds. Today was already making him want to blow his brains out, anxiety digging its barbs into the lining of his stomach. He absolutely was not looking forward to this day, he never was, but if he was late, there would be hell to pay.

Fucking finally, Eren made it up to the counter, and the older woman behind it smiled brightly at him. "Hello, what can I do for you?"

"I'm here to pick up a bouquet I ordered. Jaeger," he explained quickly. There was no need to mince words, he was in a rush.

"Oh, I was wondering who that one was for," a younger woman who bore a striking resemblance to the woman behind the counter spoke up, drawing his attention momentarily. "It's a dazzling array, and with so many blooms," she swooned, her eyes lighting up. "It must be for someone pretty special."

"Yeah," the brunet said hesitantly, avoiding eye contact. He pulled out his debit card expectantly, turning back to stare at the old woman.

"Marlee, go in the back and retrieve it, would you?"

"Yes, grandma!" The woman, Marlee, chirped, before rushing off into the back room.

The florist turned her eyes back to Eren, and she smiled, her wizened face glowing with her inner beauty. "That'll be $537.28."

Eren nodded and slid his card, his purchase approved after he entered in his pin. Marlee returned shortly with a startlingly large bouquet, carefully passing it to the lawyer. He thanked them, and then quickly left the flower shop. He didn't have long to make it to Annie's to pick her up for their Valentine's Day lunch. Laying the flowers in his passenger seat, he jumped into his car and sped off, inching his foot on the gas pedal when he felt like he was getting nowhere.

Most people probably took their significant others out to a romantic dinner. Most people weren't Annie Leonhart. Being the famous and coveted actress that she was left little time in her schedule for things like this, things that weren't necessarily deemed important. Dates for the couple were generally few and far between, as she typically made time only for church and for impressing his parents with her good girl Christian morals and high standing. Not that Eren minded, exactly. He didn't really enjoy dates with Annie. It was nothing against her, and he certainly felt guilty for feeling that way, but it was always a tense and unfulfilling experience. It was never about them or their relationship.

Everything they did had to be for an audience. Eren was expected to get the biggest bouquet with all of her favorite flowers. He was expected to take her to a five star restaurant. His every action must be grandiose, well thought out, and put on display for the world to see just how happy the couple was, and how in love they were. He absolutely hated all of the attention, and the stress of it made him want to rip his own hair out.

Eren tried to stop dwelling on his negative thoughts as he pulled up to Annie's house. He picked up the flowers and climbed out of the car, marching up to the door with bouquet in hand. Knocking three times, he took a step back to wait. He didn't have to wait for long—Annie herself pulled open the door, pale blonde hair done up in an intricate style, ankle-long gown flowing out around her legs in delicate ruffles, and a white fur shawl draped over her shoulders. Eren was willing to bet that the fur was real, and he had to swallow his disgust back, keeping his features pleasantly neutral. He presented the bouquet to her, and she took it carefully, a barely there smile on her pale lips.

Annie carried it in her arms, gliding over to the car to wait for the brunet to open the door for her. He wanted to roll his eyes, but kept his actions in check as he held the door for her. Of course she wouldn't leave the flowers at home, she wanted everyone to see them. Eren wanted nothing more than to just be curled up in his house with Levi, ignoring the world. Curse obligations.

They situated themselves and he drove off, heading towards the restaurant. To him, the air felt tense, thick with high expectations, and he knew that there was no way he could disappoint. He had renewed his promise to himself to attend services every Sunday, because after she had approached his parents with her complaints, he had been devastated. If he was being completely honest, he scarcely wanted to be around her. He had missed church a total of three times. After the first two, she had confronted him about it, and he made sure to dutifully attend afterwards, even though it made him lose sleep, lose weight, and have a harder time juggling all of his priorities. It had been a while before he missed that last time, when for all anyone knew, he was sick. It amazed him that it only took three missed services for Annie to bring it up with his parents, but now he had no doubts that if he missed again, her father would be the next to be brought in. It was bullshit, in his fucking opinion. No one could be expected to be so devout when they had a life. How did it not stress her out to make sure she never had to film on a Sunday? How did she always make it to a service and not feel like her hair was going to fall out from balancing a job and religious obligations?

The more he thought about it, the sooner he came to a conclusion that made sense to him. Annie was an actress; she worked only in so much as she had a film to be working on. She made god knows how much money from simply appearing in a movie or a television show. He was willing to bet a whole month's paycheck that if she were to retire today, she would be set for life and then some. Annie did not have to work a typical daily nine to five job like he did. Eren wasn't saying her work wasn't hard, but really, how often did she actually have to lift a finger for herself? Not to mention, her parents were loaded. The luck of those that ran churches. So many people donated without a care to where that money went. If you had faith, you gave money, and questioned nothing.

Not that he was accusing his girlfriend's parents of being corrupt. After all, he was going to be calling them family sooner rather than later, and he didn't want that thought to eat him alive. Better not to think about it, then.

They arrived at the restaurant and allowed a valet to park his Jaguar. With his arm laced with hers, he began to lead her towards the entrance, before her nails bit into the flesh of his arm through his suit jacket, forcing him to stop. Eren ground his teeth together and turned, knowing exactly what she wanted. He posed with Annie for the paparazzi, the blonde adopting her winning smile, and he forced himself into grinning and staring at her with love. The flash of the cameras lights burned his left eye, and he fought off a wince. His contact was doing nothing to protect his light-sensitive golden iris, and he wanted nothing more than to close the eye and flip off the photographers. However, he knew that he'd only be shooting himself in the foot, so he smiled and bore it.

Eren couldn't help but to think of Levi in this moment. The man had kept his true identity a secret, so he could live his everyday life outside of being a famous rockstar. He could have his privacy, no one would come running up to harass him, his pictures wouldn't constantly be snapped. Eren craved that, more than anything right in this moment. When he was with Levi, no one seemed to recognize Eren for who he was, and it was such a blissful fucking feeling. He wasn't forced to wear a fake smile, be kind to the paparazzi, be someone he wasn't. He really adored the idea of living a life out of the public eye, and he envied the way Levi could shed his L persona and disappear into a crowd. Not that the man wasn't drop dead gorgeous and eye-catching, but he got to be a normal human being.

He had to shove those thoughts away. Those weren't good thoughts to have. What he had going on with Levi wasn't going to go on forever. He had to propose to Annie eventually, and continue down his parents' path. He could only enjoy it for the moment; he wasn't allowed to crave it, because that would cause him more pain in the long run.

With a deep breath, Eren finally was able to lead Annie into the restaurant. He'd made reservations months in advance, not like it was really necessary. Annie could get a table wherever she wanted, whenever she wanted, with or without a reservation. Still, he had to make a show of things. The waiter led them to their table, which was out in the open, of course. He pulled her chair out for her, and pushed it in when she sat. He sat across from her and picked up a menu, perusing it.

Eren let Annie do all of the talking, and he only contributed when he deemed it appropriate. She didn't seem to mind, going on and on about her current project, how her life had been going, and anything under the sun that the brunet really had no interest in. He pretended he was interested, because he was expected to be, but his mind was elsewhere. He could at least thank his lucky stars that because public opinion heavily disapproved of conversion therapy and blatant homophobia, Annie couldn't bring those subjects up. They ordered their food, and once it was delivered, Annie fell silent.

It was just as well to him, he preferred it that way. He kept his smile plastered to his face, his mind drifting to who it shouldn't when he was in his girlfriend's presence. It seemed like no matter how much he told himself he couldn't think about the other man, his brain didn't want to cooperate or listen. His thoughts were stuck on Levi. He hated this lunch date, hated everything about it, but the thought that was getting him through right now was that Levi and he had plans after this. The man had been entirely understanding about his social obligations with Annie for lunch, but he'd still invited Eren to do something with him afterwards. Eren wasn't sure how Levi could be so okay with going along with any of this, but the singer seemed to let him lead, and followed his every whim without being bothered in the slightest.

Eren didn't deserve someone like Levi. He was too kind, too understanding, too  _good._  Eren was secretly a mess, though Levi had gotten to witness some of that. He was an utter mess, with a fucked up past, fucking mental health issues, a future that wasn't his to decide or control, and a spouse already spoken for. How Levi could see anything desirable in him was a fucking miracle. How anyone could ever look at Levi and not take the time to get to know him but just judge him from first impressions was insane, and it honestly pissed Eren off. Levi was so genuine, and yeah, okay, he was blunt and didn't know how to filter his words, but he never wanted to hurt anyone. In fact, he was so careful with Eren, and so comforting and soft. He was sweet, and empathetic, and how anyone could look at that man and think he was nothing more than a dick that wasn't worth their time pissed him off. He'd been put off at first, he could admit, but he'd been intrigued as well, and he wanted to learn more about him. He wanted to peel back the outer layers to see what was held within.

To all those who had treated Levi like scum on the soles of their shoe, he just wanted to have a talk with. Just a friendly chat, where he could walk away satisfied, and they would roll away in a wheelchair. Absolutely friendly, nonviolent talking. Everyone should see just how amazing, wonderful, and frankly, fucking precious and adorable, Levi could be and was. Wait, scratch that. No one should get to see that but him. No one should see how cute Levi was, with his oversized sweaters and his weird way of holding cups, and the way his sat cross-legged on pretty much every surface. No one should get to see that side of Levi; it was only for Eren, and Eren alone.

Eren was unaware that he was wearing his first genuine smile during the whole of Valentine's Day, and it wasn't because of his current company, wasn't because of the beautiful woman in front of him whom he loved and was dating, and would eventually marry. He smiled genuinely for the grouchy, short, venom-tongued, stunning creature that kept running through his mind, and Annie paused in eating her meal to observe the change in her boyfriend's expression. She said nothing, though, and continued with their date, in silence.

The lawyer had certainly had an easier time getting through this whole fucking nightmare of a date, and he made sure to kiss her cheek and squeeze her hands when he dropped her off at her door. He thanked her, and told her what a pleasing time he had with her. Once he was sure she was satisfied with his portrayal, he said his goodbyes and left. He had to get home to change so that he could be with Levi that much faster.

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> That's a wrap for this chapter. Tell me your thoughts. I know their date doesn't have a ton of depth, but that's pretty typical for them, so. BUT. ANYWAY. What did you think of the chapter as a whole? Did you enjoy the Ereri fluff? Did you hate the Annie Valentine's stuff? Let me know in the comments below! I read and respond to each and every one. As I said up above, the next chapter will be available in a few days or so (as it goes hand in hand with this one), and I really want to get it written and to you guys. I've got a lot of shit going on in the next few days, but all I've been wanting to do lately is write. So I'm going to make time for it. I have Sunday off from work, so hopefully if all goes well, that's when you'll get chapter 21.  
> Until then! All the love! Ritsy


	21. Tell My Heart to Shut The Fuck Up

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> Oh henlo again, you fucking bombshell babes. I promised to deliver, and here I am, delivering. This chapter. Oh fucking boy. I have no words. It just flowed out of me and I didn't want to stop writing at all. I did end up taking a break to go with my stepmom and dad to a concert for her birthday, which was precious and now a cherished memory. Also, I started writing, didn't like how it started, left it for a night, came back, deleted everything and started all over from a different angle. That's just what I needed because yeah. This just flew out of me.  
> I honestly hope you enjoy this chapter, I seriously love it, and I want you guys to alsoooooo (though I have a feeling you will).  
> I won't spoil anything, loves, so please do enjoy while I stop rambling!
> 
> Apologies for any errors, grammatical or otherwise; this is unbeta'd, and I'll edit tomorrow after I wake up. I'm so exhausted. The most exhausted. But it was so worth getting this chapter done and up.

Night was swooping down quickly, a normal occurrence during the winter months. However, darkness seeped in at a much more rapid pace due to the heavily clustered clouds littering the sky. They blocked out the sun, setting a chill deep into the bones of anyone daring to be out and about. Snow danced down from the grey veil, large flakes that appeared to glitter in the glow of the streetlamps. Luckily enough for the occupants of Trost, not much of it seemed to be sticking, so the streets lay rather bare and pleasantly drive-able. The asphalt would only end up iced over in the dead of night, when the temperature dropped into the peak of coldness and any normal human being was tucked away in the warmth of their beds. Any accidents to be had wouldn't be caused by the dreaded black ice, oh no, certainly not. They would surely happen courtesy of one vertically-challenged, dour, short-tempered man because for some god-forsaken reason the idiot masses always developed an inability to drive as soon as snow touched the earth. What, were literal hordes of people suddenly struck with an infuriating case of amnesia that only stole their knowledge on how to safely operate a vehicle during any type of weather that wasn't warm and sunny?

There were lead-footed dumbasses that recklessly sped along slick streets, hydroplaning whenever they hit a patch of road that had accumulated quite a bit of water. Then you had the motherfuckers that drove at a crawl, going only 5 miles an hour and flinching at the sight of anyone going at a reasonable 30. A fucking sloth would surpass them. Hell, a goddamn  _snail_  would creep circles around them. There never seemed to be a middle ground between the two extremes, no  _reasonable_  people driving at  _reasonable_  speeds. Levi wasn't sure which was worse: the fucking turtles or the cock-guzzling speed demons. He always found himself getting stuck between the two, his mood worsening with each and every obstruction to his destination. If he was stuck behind some geriatric mouth-breather, a self-absorbed fratboy was riding his ass like it was  _his_  fault. If he was finally able to move at a proper pace, some insipid teenager was whizzing by him at an uncomfortable closeness to veer in front of him dangerously, almost taking off his front end and forcing him to slow down to avoid being in a collision.

Brow-twitching as yet another overcompensating sack of ass came far too close to smashing into him, Levi swore to whatever fucking nonexistent deity that was listening; if  _anyone_  so much as dared to graze his vehicle, hell, even  _breathe_  in its direction, he would jump out of his car and beat the everloving shit out of them. Slap his ass with manslaughter, he didn't give a flying shit. It would be worth every second he had to spend behind bars. All he fucking wanted was to get from point A to point B, car and sanity intact. If he had to straight up murder a few motherfuckers to accomplish that, fuck it, he was game. The most important thought floating around his brain was that Eren was waiting for him, and these dickholes were keeping him from the brunet. Levi's road rage was blindingly real, but the amount of anger he was throwing into it was highly exaggerated in an attempt to veil the tumultuous inner turmoil currently boiling over in his brain and swelling like a tumor.

Thinking of that bright-eyed brat brought with it a pandora's box full of feelings and thoughts to the surface of his mind. His grip tightened on the steering wheel until his knuckles turned white, and his jaw clenched so tightly that his teeth ached. Levi was nervous. It was a terrifyingly new experience for him, and he couldn't help but to feel stupid for being nervous. It was just Eren, after all. Eren, with his startling heterochromatic eyes, cocky half-smirk or brilliant smile, and his permanent russet bedhead. Eren, whose throaty laugh brightened up the room. Eren, who was crafted by the gods, with his Adonis-like body and pretty face. Eren, with his voice so smooth and buttery it drew you in like a moth to a flame and captivated you wholly. Levi had been around him so much, he should be used to it by now. It should be easy and carefree and as simple as taking a breath. They'd fucked—many times, might he add—for fuck's sake! And the brunet understood him in a way that he wasn't sure anyone else did. That funny, charismatic, gentle, sweet, compassionate, absolute little shit with an untapped wild side. Fuck.

Levi was so fucked. So royally fucked, straight up the ass with a massive rusty pole and no lube. He was fucked, and he fucking  _knew_  it. He just wanted to slam his head against the steering wheel, making the horn beep at comical intervals, until the airbag shot out and snapped his neck on impact. Fuck. Why, why did he have to realise how  _fucked_  he was? He couldn't even pretend to himself anymore that he wasn't. He was sure as shit going to pretend to everyone else, though. Maybe then the universe would decide to stop rawing him so violently. Knowing his luck, though, that wasn't even a possibility. Levi was just going to go on pretending that everything was fine, that he wasn't fucked, and everyone else would get to remain blissfully unaware. Maybe he could concuss himself to the point of amnesia. If he got desperate enough, the thought would certainly gain some merit.

It would have to be another time, however, because he finally turned into Eren's driveway and parked behind his Jaguar. Levi sat there, car running, and stared blankly out of the windshield. He absently observed as snow fell, his mind consuming him. How was he going to manage pretending he wasn't as nervous as some virginal schoolgirl about to get rammed for the first time? He groaned, head flopping back heavily against the headrest. This  _so_  was not normal for him. He'd never been like this before. What the fuck, what the  _actual fuck._  Who was this fucking brat to come into his life and just turn it on its head? Levi groaned louder, pinching the bridge of his nose. This was so fucking unfair. He wasn't about to just back out of Eren's life and stop doing whatever the fuck it was that they were doing. He didn't even _want_  to stop. His brain just had to realise shit and make him go through a goddamned existential crisis. He was only 35! He was too fucking young to have an existential crisis.

"Stop thinking about it, Levi," he growled at himself, lifting his head up. He forcefully shook his head, banishing the thoughts vehemently. Now wasn't the fucking time. He'd let everything eat at him when he was alone in his own damn bed like a normal fucking adult. Right now he had his date with Eren to focus on.

…Fuck, he needed a cigarette. Yanking his pack out of his jacket pocket, he slid a cigarette out and placed it between his lips. One flick of the lighter and a deep inhalation later, and sweet, sweet nicotine was coursing through his veins. Levi sighed, smoke curling out of his nose, and he cracked his window. His nerves were soothed by the smoke, and he could feel the tension melting away from his body. Taking another drag, he reached down to honk the horn a few times to notify his—wait,  _the_ , brat of his arrival. He flicked the ash out of the crack, ignoring the abrasive chill that bit at the tips of his fingers.

About five minutes after he'd honked, Eren came bursting out of his front door, locking it quickly before hopping off of his porch steps. As he got closer, Levi could see the pretty pink flush to his tan cheeks, the bright glaze to his eyes, and the uncontainable happy grin planted on his full lips. His heart skipped a beat, and then started throbbing double-time, warmth spreading out through his limbs and settling in his bones. His chest felt light, and he could feel the pull of his own lips spreading into a smile, unable to fight the expression of utter happiness.

Eren opened the passenger door and slid in, letting it shut as he turned bodily to face Levi. His cheeks reddened even more, and his expression became slightly bashful. His teeth sunk into his bottom lip as he rubbed the back of his neck sheepishly.

"Um, hey," he said, his voice low and slightly breathless.

Levi felt his lips wobbling, fighting off an uncharacteristic smile, and his nervousness came back tenfold, though it no longer felt unpleasant. "Hey yourself, brat."

In a show of bravery, Eren leaned forward without warning, his lips just barely brushing against the shorter man's. Levi's breath caught, and his lungs felt like they were ringing themselves out. The hand not currently holding a cigarette came up to cup the side of the brunet's face, and he leaned forward to deepen the kiss. It was sweet and soft, purposefully slow and infused with a jumble of feelings. After one last peck, Eren leaned back, his eyes looking dazed, and he cleared his throat, his hands fidgeting in his lap.

"So, where are we going?" the lawyer asked. His voice quivered a bit, the shared kiss seeming to leave a lasting effect of butterflies in his stomach.

"Well, I figured we could take turns choosing a place that we wanted to go," Levi responded, his voice composed, but his tinted cheeks betraying him. He side-eyed Eren momentarily. "After you buckle the fuck up, anyway."

The brunet stuck his tongue out, situating himself properly before buckling his seatbelt. He shot a devious glance to his counterpart, a shit-eating grin on his lips. "Happy now,  _dad?_ "

Levi narrowed his eyes, a low rumble in his chest. "Careful there, you little shit. Or else the only place we'll be going is your bedroom. If we make it that far, that is. I have no qualms with fucking you up against the hood of my car."

Eren shivered at the thought, partly because it was fucking sexy, but mostly because it was freezing outside, and he didn't want frostbite on his balls. "Maybe later, if you're lucky," he teased, earning a deep chuckle that made his insides squirm. "I like your idea. Who's picking first?"

"I figured you would, since it was my idea."

Contemplating Levi's words for a few moments, Eren shakes his head firmly. "No, you pick first."

The singer rolls his eyes, an affectionate smirk curling his lips. "Can't ever make things easy or do what you're told. Fine, I'll pick first." Levi throws the car into reverse and backs out of Eren's driveway, before switching to drive and taking off down the street. He takes one last drag of his nearly snuffed out cigarette, before tossing the butt out of the window.

He has to stop himself from having a heart attack or driving into a ditch when Eren reaches over unexpectedly and entwines their hands. He feels so warm and soft inside that he doesn't know what to do with himself, so he squeezes the larger hand gently. They drive in silence for a while, his counterpart shifting to rest his head on his shoulder. This goddamn brat is  _trying_  to kill him. How can he be so goddamn precious and cute without even fucking trying? Eren is absentmindedly brushing his thumb along the back of his hand, and he feels like he's actually going to go insane. Can he hear Levi's heart thundering away in his chest? Because his pulse is so loud in his ears that it's making them ring. Things were so much fucking easier when he wasn't aware, goddammit.

"Where'd you pick?" Eren speaks up softly, shifting his head on Levi's shoulder to look up at him. He studies the flush settled over his elegant cheekbones like paint on a canvas, and his heart squeezes in his chest. When his counterpart stays silent, he pouts out his bottom lip and adopts a whiny tone. "Come on, tell me. I'm gonna have to tell you mine since you're the one driving."

"All right, already, you little brat," Levi grumbles, though his tone lacks any venom and is softened with affection. "We're going to that café. The one you introduced me to." He doesn't say why, or that it means something to him that Eren brought him somewhere that he cherishes. No need to embarrass himself or stick feet into his mouth when he doesn't have a foot fetish. Still, the thought is there, and it makes him keenly aware of how Eren is staring at him, hasn't stopped staring at him, shit, _why is he staring at him?_

A smile breaks out over Eren's lips, and fuck, is it breathtaking and beautiful, and Levi wants to throw himself off of a fucking cliff. He feels warm inside at the fact that he brought a smile to those perfect fucking lips. Eren hums his delight at the prospect of something warm to drink, and his own heart is fluttering, because it means something to him that Levi remembered that little hole-in-the-wall café that he adores, and that it means that Levi must think about him, or think about the times they've been together. Eren wants to hide his smile in his hands, but the shorter man is driving with his eyes focused on the road, so he feels less overly aware of himself. Besides, he  _really_  likes holding Levi's smaller, calloused hand, and he wasn't intending to let go for as long as he was allowed to hold it. Giving it a soft squeeze, he glances out the window, letting relief wash over him and a buzzing fills his chest. Maybe Levi didn't think about him as much as Eren thought about him, but his suggestion of the café meant that he at least thought about him sometimes, and found him important enough to remember their time together. The lawyer was immensely pleased and comforted by the fact that he wasn't the only one.

The singer drove carefully, thankful that he finally shared the road with people that had enough intelligence in their addled brains to drive at an appropriate speed. His body relaxed, the warmth and unique scent of Eren soothing him. His road rage was nowhere to be seen, atypical of his normal method of driving. They pulled into the parking lot of the coffee shop, and the brunet mournfully released Levi's hand, slipping out of the car. The musician followed closely behind, allowing Eren to make his dumb (sweet) gesture of holding the door open for him to enter the building first. They got into a surprisingly short line, standing side by side, close enough that their arms kept brushing. The contact sent sparks up Levi's limb, spreading out over the rest of his skin and making him thrum with electricity. He felt himself gravitating closer, letting the back of his hand rub against Eren's "accidentally". The grin that his taller counterpart tried to hide made that coy move worth it.

When they got up to the counter, the barista gave the pair a lazy smile, greeting them and asking them what they'd like. Before Eren could part his lips to speak, Levi cleared his throat, drawing the attention of the brat behind the counter and the brat at his side.

"Two dirty chais, please. The biggest size you've got," he announced straightforwardly. "Oh, and two pieces of biscotti. Please," he tacked on as an afterthought.

Eren flushed what felt like head to toe, and he had to avert his gaze to avoid staring at Levi with something akin to awe.  _How much does Levi think about me?_  He wondered, his teeth sinking into his bottom lip. Hope bloomed somewhere inside of his chest, and he found himself longing for it to be just as much as he did.

Levi paid for their drinks, not noticing the way his counterpart had turned red, and slipped his fingers around his wrist, tugging him along the counter so they could wait in the appropriate area. He let the pads of his fingertips ghost down the flesh of Eren's hand before he released his hold, trying not to scowl at the loss of contact. After all, he was the one who severed it, and he sincerely doubted that the other man would appreciate intimate contact in public.

A small hum of thought drew his attention, and he turned his head to look up at Eren. "I want to go to that bookstore next. The secondhand one you took me to… Paradis Books, wasn't it?" His tone was thoughtful and airy, but holy fuck if his words didn't pierce Levi right through the heart in such a fantastic way.

Yeah, he was absolutely, completely screwed six ways to Sunday. Hoo-fucking-ray.

"That's right," he murmured, his cheeks growing pink against his will, and he wanted to mutinously threaten his body into behaving. "We'll head there next, then."

Their conversation was drawn to a close as their order was called out, and they both took a drink in hand, Levi snagging the bagged biscotti. Together, they strode out of the café and back to Levi's car. Once buckled in, Levi took the familiar streets to Paradis. It wasn't far from Marlo's Café, only about a five minute drive, and soon he was parking up against the curb. It was a slim building that only stretched out so far back, with a plain facade and a faded hanging sign proclaiming its name. The inside, though, that was where the magic was. Levi took a quick drink from his cardboard cup, relishing in the beautifully blended drink. He really had to hand it to Eren; the offspring of coffee and tea was quickly becoming his favorite drink. He'd never have thought it possible before the brunet was thrust into his life. Thank fuck he got arrested.

The two companions briskly walked into the bookstore, causing the bell on the door to ring cheerily. They both still held their drinks, Levi sapping warmth from it into his poor icicle fingers. Paradis was absolutely stuffed to the brim with books. The walls were lined from floor to ceiling; tables scattered throughout were piled high; stacks of them were precariously located in bursts all along the floor. It smelled like old books, and the atmosphere was intimate and cozy, bordering on claustrophobic. The best part of this secondhand bookstore was the fact that there was no order. The first time Eren had come here with Levi, he'd been floored that the man who he'd come to realise had a penchant for cleanliness toeing the line of OCD would love or even be relaxed in such a chaotic environment. It had honestly seemed more Hange's style, but the way that Levi looked around with softened heather eyes and a warm flush to him gave away just how much he cherished this place.

Levi loved the way there was no order at Paradis. It was something special to find treasure in amongst a mass of so many other tomes. In a way, it was truly magical to the singer. He could spend hours, days, years here, and never grow tired of it. He took a deep breath, taking in that old book smell. He allowed Eren to take the lead, following after him. He watched as Eren pawed through the piles, turning books over, reading the backs. Levi glanced at the shelves, hoping that something would jump out at him.

Eren's startled gasp made him jump, and he turned, hurrying over to the brunet. Before he could ask what was wrong, Eren spun on his heel and shoved the book he'd found right into Levi's face. "Oh my god, Levi! I found  _A Clockwork Orange!_  It's a first edition!" It took so much willpower for the lawyer to keep his voice down, and he was whisper-shouting, which Levi found to be way too endearing.

Still, he couldn't help but to tease him a little. "You and your disturbing taste," he drawled, the small smile on his lips giving him away.

" _Levi,"_  Eren stressed, his eyes widening as his lips fell into a pout. "We have to get it, you have to read it. Please read it?"

It washed over Levi all over again just how fucked he was. He couldn't say no to Eren already, but when he put on that kicked puppy face, his knees got weak. His voice wouldn't come out for a moment, he was so starstruck, but after clearing his throat and mentally shaking himself he gave a feeble nod.

"Yeah, brat. Of course we can get it," his voice sounded a little breathless, but really, he couldn't be blamed for that. Considering Eren had just mentally fucking gut-punched him and knocked the wind out of him.

The lawyer gave such a dazzling, blinding smile, Levi thought he was going to have a seizure. Fuck this kid, and his big, stunning eyes, and his gorgeous face. Eren swiftly approached the front counter, purchasing the book all while looking like a kid that had gotten exactly what he wanted for Christmas. Levi watched him, his expression softened as warmth spread from his chest out. God, Eren was certainly something special. He'd never seen someone so ecstatic over an old, smelly book. A book that was probably just as horrifying as the movie, mind you. Once completing his purchase, the brunet came back over to Levi, holding out the bagged book to him. The singer took it, making a show of rolling his eyes, trying to force his tough-guy exterior to reinforce itself. He wasn't too sure how successful he was.

"Your turn," Eren chirped, and Levi nodded in agreement.

They exited the bookstore, getting back in Levi's car. He headed out down the road, going in the opposite direction than they'd come. The book Eren had given him was sat delicately in his lap, his free hand being held hostage in his counterpart's grasp. Not like he was complaining. The lawyer allowed them to drive in silence for only so long before he piped up.

"Where are you taking us?" He asked, staring curiously out of his window.

"Secret," Levi answered swiftly, giving the hand in his a light squeeze.

"Oh, piss off, old man. Will you just tell me?" Eren huffed, puffing his cheeks out in mild irritation, though his words were sorely lacking in any frustration.

Levi hummed in thought, deciding how he wanted to respond. "All I'll say is that it's where I go when I need to get away," he stated carefully, slowly down when some asshole decided to cut him off.

That response piqued Eren's curiosity, but he couldn't let the shorter man off so easily without seeming at least a little disgruntled. "Fine," he grumbled, stroking his thumb along Levi's. That should convince him that he didn't like being left out of the loop.

They drove for close to 15 minutes, until they had left downtown Trost far behind them, and Eren was observing their passing surroundings with interest. They'd both eaten the biscotti and finished off their drinks during the longer drive. Levi turned down a dirt road that the brunet had pretty much missed. Now he really wanted to know where they were headed. He'd die if he didn't find out. Luckily for him, Levi slowed to a stop, turning to give his counterpart an appraising look.

"Come on," he murmured before opening his door and slipping out of his car. Eren clumsily followed, looking all around. They were in a large clearing surrounded with barren trees, along which ran many branching trails. He spun around, taking it in. The snow had slowed down considerably, so only small flakes were sticking to his lashes. The clouds had even cleared up slightly, allowing glimpses of the night sky to peek through.

"Where are we?" Eren asked in a hushed tone, feeling that if he spoke any louder, he'd destroy the peaceful atmosphere.

Levi started walking towards a path, and Eren moved to catch up, his hand snaking its way into his counterpart's grasp. The singer ignored the way his heart flip-flopped, instead focusing on the trail he'd walked more times than he could remember. He could follow it in his sleep, if he wanted to. The brunet waited until the older man had seemed to gather his thoughts, keeping quiet as his eyes swept over the snow-blanketed branches.

"When I first moved to Trost, I was 22." Levi started, speaking lowly, his voice managing to carry over to Eren's ears. "I was alone, and I lived in a really shitty apartment while I attended Trost U. I could barely afford rent on this place, and I was working two jobs and already looking for another part-time gig. I'd put up ads anywhere that I could to try and find a roommate. That's actually how Miche and I met; he saw an ad, got ahold of me, and we became roommates. Let me just say, that living with him was my own personal hell, but we made it work. I didn't have a choice. But my life felt like it was meaningless then; I didn't know what I wanted to major in, I was barely making enough money to live on, and I hardly ever ate. I'd get so fucking overwhelmed that I wanted to find the nearest tall building to launch myself off of.

"So one day, when the stress was eating at me, I took a walk. Really, I ran. And it was aimless, and fuck if I know how long I was at it. I was desperate to get away from my own shitty fucking life, but no matter how hard I ran or how fast I moved, it kept pace with me." Levi paused to release a humorless laugh, and Eren pressed closer, his hand gripping onto his counterpart's reassuringly. His heart ached at the thought of Levi ever feeling like that. They continued to walk down the trail, Levi leading him into turns down paths that branched off every now and then.

He took a breath, sucking in the winter air, before continuing on with his story. "Somehow I ended up here, in this rundown nature park that had been abandoned god knows how long ago. It didn't look like someone had set foot here in decades. All of my anxieties seemed to get washed away in the sorrowful peace that drenches this place. I wandered down these trails, just like we are now. And that's how I found this," he drawled, stepping into a new clearing.

Eren gasped, his eyes widening at the sight before him. The clouds had long drifted away during their walk through the trees, the snow had finally stopped, and the moon shone brightly down on them. The stars twinkled in the blackness of the vast sky, but Eren's eyes were drawn to what sat in the center of the clearing. A large fountain, dilapidated and crumbling away proudly rested in his gaze. He couldn't make out what sculptures had been built into it, but he wistfully thought that they had to have been beautiful before time and neglect had whittled them away. There obviously wasn't water running to it anymore, and the weathered stone held this eerie, haunting allure. As aged and rundown as it was, it was so utterly breathtaking, and Eren loved it. He absolutely fell in love with this place, and he could see why Levi had, over a decade ago.

Levi watched Eren, a small smile pulling at his lips and softening his sharp features. His heart was disgustingly gooey, and he held back an adoring sigh. Instead, he forced his eyes to the broken down fountain and continued speaking.

"After I found this place, any time where I started to feel like I was getting so overwhelmed I couldn't breathe, I'd come here. When I was a junior in uni, Hange moved out here and joined me and Miche at our shitty apartment. It was soon after that, that we got drunk out of our minds and we somehow got the idea in our heads to start a band. Hange came up with our aliases, and No Name was born. It took 3 years of hard work, but we finally made a name for ourselves…" he trailed off, drinking in the silent beauty of the night, the fountain standing out starkly in the moonlight. "Sometimes I think back and just marvel at how far we've managed to make it. And even still, I come here when life becomes too much."

"Fuck, Levi, it's so beautiful," Eren murmured, turning to face the shorter man. "Thank you, so  _much_  for sharing this with me. I—it means a lot."

Levi lifted his gaze to lock with Eren's, his eyes flickering back and forth to gold and teal. The brunet looked goddamn ethereal bathed in moonlight. It made the singer feel all poetic and shit. Pushing that thought away, he took a small step closer. "You mean a lot," he said simply. "To me." That's as much as he was willing to admit to, even in his own head.

Eren wrapped his arms around Levi's waist at the same time that the shorter man stood on his tiptoes and snaked his own arms around the taller man's neck. Levi tilted his head up, his stare never wavering, and pushed up as far as he could as Eren leaned down. Their lips collided in the best fucking way possible, and the kiss stole the musician's breath away. His eyes slid closed as he tightened his hold, deepening the kiss to the best of his ability. Eren ran his tongue along the seam of his lips, and Levi complied easily, letting his lips part. Their tongues clashed passionately, tangling together. The brunet felt fingers gripping tightly to the back of his neck, and the sensation was extremely pleasant. Neither of them were sure how long they kissed for, but they both were gasping for breath when they broke apart, and flushed from more than the cold.

"Let's go back to my place," Eren whispered, and Levi nodded numbly, still caught up in all that was Eren.

* * *

They stood on Eren's porch, Levi using his key to unlock the front door. As he opened it, large, chilly hands came up to cover his eyes, effectively blinding him. He froze up, his mouth falling open as his brows furrowed.

"Just go with it," Eren commanded gently, before Levi could ask what the fuck was going on.

He snapped his mouth shut with a clack of his teeth, allowing Eren to lead him blindly into the house. He stumbled a few times, but the brunet adjusted his makeshift blindfold so that only one hand was covering Levi's eyes (and really, only one of those big fuckers was needed), while the other fell to his waist, keeping him steady and upright. He was slowed to a stop, and then his counterpart took a deep, shuddering breath right next to his ear. It brought to his attention the slight tremor in Eren's hands, like he was nervous or something. But there was no way that was possible; Levi dismissed the idea almost as fast as it had come.

Eren's hand fell away from his eyes, and Levi blinked to adjust his vision, before he felt himself gawking at the coffee table. Resting directly in the center was no more than 6 beautiful white roses, the delicate petals standing out in the dim lighting. Their stems sat in an intricately blown glass vase, with a simple white ribbon tied around it. Eren shifted from foot to foot anxiously behind his counterpart, his teeth worrying his lip. Fuck, this was a mistake. Clearly, Levi was speechless because he hated it. He was overstepping his bounds. He just wanted to do something thoughtful for the older man because he did so much for Eren, far more than he even knew and fuck, shit, he'd fucked everything up. Levi must hate him now.

His rampant tempestuous thoughts came to an immediate halt as the suddenness of movement caught his eye. Levi had taken a step forward, then another, and more, until he was stopped directly in front of the table. The singer slowly kneeled down, his pale hand coming out to ghost along the outline of a rose. He couldn't turn to face Eren, god no. His face was so warm, sure to be pinker than it ever had been, all the way up to his ears, and even though the lighting was dim, he was so fucking positive his face would glow. His heart was palpitating at such a swift an thunderous rate that it was almost alarming, and his blood was rushing loudly in his ears, making them ring slightly.

It didn't mean anything. Well, it must mean something, but it certainly didn't mean _that._  There was no fucking way. Absolutely no fucking way. They were so fucking gorgeous, and the thought that Eren maybe, might have picked these out with him in mind made him feel faint, or like he was dreaming and needed to go throw himself into a pile of slushy snow to wake the fuck up or cool the fuck down or whatever. His mind was a muddled mess, and he was torn between so many thoughts, his emotions going haywire as an array of feelings burst through him so fast he couldn't identify any of them.

"You got these for me?" He whispered, finally finding his voice—barely.

Eren swallowed, shifting from foot to foot, before deciding to move closer. "Yeah," he murmured, all breathy and with his voice cracking halfway through the word.

" _Eren,"_  Levi spoke reverently, and there was so much, too much, put into those two syllables. He felt frayed and vulnerable and weak, betrayed by his own body and his inability to control his emotions. "Thank you. I—fuck, this is. This—means a lot."

Eren felt the ghost of a smile curling up his lips, his heart stuttering as his cheeks flushed to a nearly feverish level. "You mean a lot to me," he echoes Levi's sentiment from earlier.

Levi wanted to stand, to throw his arms around Eren and ravish his lips until they were swollen and bruised, but his knees were trembling and weak. There was no way he'd be capable of standing on his own two feet right now. Luckily, Eren seemed to have the same thoughts as him, or something similar, because the next thing he knew he was being pressed into the carpet, with the taller man's body molded to his, and his lips being quenched in a searing kiss.

Hands came up to knot in russet locks, pulling Eren's head closer to deepen the kiss all the more. Levi's barely getting in any air, but it doesn't matter, fuck, it doesn't matter. Eren could smother him to death and he wouldn't give a shit, so long as he kept kissing him like he was dehydrated and Levi was the last cold glass of water on earth. The brunet's tongue was in his mouth, and his hands were all over, leaving trails of fire in their wake. He arched his body up into the touch, his chest pressing into Eren's. When the lawyer started to pull back slightly, Levi chased after his lips, keeping them his captives, and an embarrassing whine rose in his throat. Getting the message loud and clear, Eren dug his fingers into Levi's hips and pressed into him further, kissing him with renewed vigor. The kiss was all-consuming and passionate, and Levi wasn't sure where he ended and Eren began. They kissed like it was the last they'd ever share, with the intensity of a dying sun. Their lips stayed locked fervently, until their lips were sore and swollen, and they were getting light-headed from the lack of air.

Eren pulled back as Levi broke off the kiss and let his head thud against the carpet. Their bodies stayed pressed together, neither able to bare the thought of their closeness coming to an end. They both gasped loudly, sucking in deep gulps of air to their oxygen-starved lungs. Amber and turquoise irises stared into gunmetal bedroom eyes, gazes never wavering. Silence pervaded the air, save for the almost obnoxious sound of their joint breathing.

After what seemed like hours, Eren finally moved, causing Levi to instantly lock his limbs around his counterpart desperately. The brunet circled his arms around his slender hips, hands cupping his ass, and he eased himself up into standing. The singer felt like a koala, but he refused to let go, ignoring the fact that he was probably acting rather immaturely. But he didn't want to be separated from Eren for even a fucking second right now, he couldn't handle it if they were. He felt like he'd wither up and die.

Eren carried him into his bedroom, sitting on the edge of the bed and laying down with his attachment. He kissed Levi's forehead affectionately, heart feeling so very full at having the older man in his arms. Somehow the musician managed to kick off his pants, and he helped shove down Eren's, pushing both pairs off of the bed. In return, Eren removed their shirts and threw them somewhere in his room. The two men slid under the covers, clinging to each other all the while. Levi could feel Eren's heartbeat where his head lay on his sternum, and the sound relaxed him more than anything ever had. He closed his eyes and breathed deeply, trying to sync his and Eren's hearts up. If he could do that…

Arms tightened around his waist, drawing him closer to the tan chest, and his whole body felt like bees were buzzing inside of him. Eren pressed gentle kisses all along the top of his head and on his forehead, before humming gently.

"Goodnight, Levi," he whispered against his hair, and Levi burrowed closer, his grip tightening even more, if that was possible.

"Goodnight, Eren," he murmured softly, turning his head slightly to press a soft, affectionate kiss right above Eren's beating heart.

He settled his head back against Eren's chest, staring off into the darkness. It seemed to take Eren no time to fall asleep, but Levi lay awake, exhaustion hanging heavy from his frame. He could barely keep his eyes open, but his brain kept running over the events of the day and his realisations on repeat. Yet instead of anxiety swarming him, he felt at peace.

Levi was deeply,  _royally_  fucked. So fucked he didn't know his head from his ass end; he was turned upside down and sideways and was floating through an endless vacuum of space. He was fucked up shit creek without a paddle and no one around for miles to hear him scream. But maybe, just  _maybe_ …

Maybe he was okay with that.

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> Sooooooo what did you guys think!? PURE. FLUFF. Pure fucking fluff. A whole goddamn chapter of fluff. Please feed me your thoughts, I'm dying to know how you guys feel after this gut-punch. Did you die and go to Ereri/Riren heaven? What's your favorite part (if you even have one)? I want to know. I read and respond to each and every comment, because you're all important, even those of my dear readers that don't comment. Just knowing there are people out there reading makes me so happy I could die. Or cry. Or both. You're all important to me.  
> I just can't. This might be my favorite chapter so far? Although drunk Eren is probably tied with this. I don't know, I just love this whole story, it's my baby. I can't play favorites. Buuuuut you guys can! *finger guns*  
> Anyway, I should stop rambling. I really should. For anyone that's curious, we went to a Mason Jennings concert. I didn't know who that was until tonight. It was fantastic.
> 
> I don't know why I'm even mentioning this, but I'm 100% positive you guys can see the glaring differences between Eren and Annie's date and Eren and Levi's date. It's the Ackerman v Jaeger Christmas all over again. WOOp.
> 
> All the love, guys, all the love. Until next time, Ritsy!
> 
> P.S: this is post-editing. I wanted to know if you dollfaces found parts of this chapter funny? I was cracking myself up at the beginning.


	22. We Met At An Orgy

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> Well, well, well, babes. Hyello. Here I am, bringing you another chapter to devour. I'm on a fucking roll, bitches. Sometimes I get a bit of writer's block (mostly when starting a fucking chapter), but if I give it a night's sleep and come back, I end up deleting most, if not all, of what I've written, and starting over. But things seem to flow easier that way and go the way I want them to. So I guess it's my method. It's better than losing motivation and giving up. I just gotta take breaks and tackle it from another angle.  
> ANY FUCKING WAY, you're not here for the rambling. You're here for the chapter. I hope it's not too long (you guys have happily read longer ones by me, so I doubt it), and I hope you enjoy it.  
> It's not edited, I'll worry about that later today when I wake up, since after I hit post I'm passing the fuck out. So, apologies for all the errors that are most definitely scattered throughout, they'll be gone soon enough.

_**11 Months Ago** _

_**March** _

The weeks seemed to drag on at an agonizing pace, until February bleeds into March without anyone noticing. It's still blisteringly cold, but the snow appears to have completely disappeared, at least for now. After Valentine's day, Eren had gotten increasingly busy with work, up to the point that he was barely leaving his office. He only ever forced himself away from his desk to drag himself to church to avoid another incident, or when he felt like he'd collapse from sheer exhaustion if he didn't. The lawyer was so overwhelmed with the sudden influx of cases and clientele, that he often brought stacks of work home with him, stuffing his briefcase so full that it threatened to burst open. It went without being said that he'd been unable to see Levi. The most contact he was able to get was a quick 5 minute phone call or a few text messages shot back and forth. To say that he missed the older man would be the understatement of the century; it felt like a part of him was withering away with each day that went by without seeing that barely there smile, or hearing his huff of a laugh, or feeling his gentle touch with calloused fingers. Eren missed the way that Levi's eyes would crinkle up whenever he was trying his best not to grin, or his steady presence and warmth, or the distinct way he smelled. Cloves, the hint of cigarette smoke, and Levi. His bed no longer held the scent of him, his house blatantly lacking anyone's existence but his own—barely.

Eren rubbed his tired eyes, slouching over his desk. He didn't even know what sleep was anymore. If work wasn't keeping him up, it was an annoying inability to sleep that had cropped up a few weeks ago. The brunet never really struggled with insomnia in the way that Levi did; while Levi barely slept,  _ever_ , Eren would get a decent amount of sleep rather easily. That is, until a bout of insomnia struck, and then for weeks, or even months, he would toss and turn, lying awake and unable to pass out. It had gotten so bad that instead of laying in his bed for the majority of the night, he would sit at his desk and work on cases, hoping to mentally spend himself in order to be blissfully swept into unconsciousness. Why bother laying in bed when he wouldn't be able to sleep, regardless? It was futile, and at least this way he could weed his way through some casefiles. He just wanted to take a fucking vacation. Instead he was wading through lawsuits and appeals and criminal cases that demanded he either prosecute or defend. He didn't even want to think about all of the fucking celebrity cases he'd received, courtesy of his mother, no doubt.

Sighing, Eren thought about Levi. He wasn't sure whether to be envious or upset for the singer with how little his insomnia seemed to affect his functionality. On the one hand, horrible things happened to your brain and your body if you went without sleep for too long, and he could only imagine the toll it took. On the other hand, being able to form coherent thought and get through each and every day without so much as the fear that you might faint or run into something had to be nice. He mulled over these two points with indecision, his mind unable to figure out if the cons were worth the pros, while his heart weighed heavily down in his chest, squeezing painfully tight for Levi.

His eyes languidly drifted across his desk, settling on the calendar. He stared blankly at it, seeing but not processing any visual information. Eren forced his eyes to open, and he sat up with a start, feeling more awake than he had in what felt like years. It was March. It was March, and he hadn't even noticed.

" _Eren—"_ Historia's voice came over the intercom, but was immediately cut off by the sound of his door flying open.

All thoughts of March fled his mind as icy hot fear shot straight down to his stomach. Keeping his features schooled, he forced a weak smile onto his lips, his heart hammering so violently against his ribcage he thought he'd be sick. Why was she here? Fuck, this wasn't good. She shouldn't  _be_  here.

"Hello, mother, what a surprise," he greeted, shocked by how smooth his voice sounded. He counted his blessings for that.

Carla flounced into the room, a happy smile lighting up her face. Her russet locks were swept into a loose braid that draped over her shoulder, and she was wearing a long cream skirt and a pale green cashmere sweater. Knowing his mother, the skirt was probably lined with wool; she wouldn't dare to wear pants in public, what with her very feminine image to keep up. Plus, God hates it when women wear pants, or something equally ridiculous, Eren was sure. She was carrying a picnic basket and a thermos, her eyes lit up with some emotion he couldn't identify because he was too busy trying to focus on breathing evenly and not passing out.

"Hello, dear," his mother said cheerily, striding over to his desk to set the basket and thermos down. "I brought you lunch."

Eren swallowed, clenching his fists beneath his desk so tightly his nails bit into his palms. The pain helped center him, and he sucked in a quiet breath. Treading carefully, he focused his eyes on his desk and kept his tone light. "What's the occasion?"

"Well, I know you've been working extra hard recently," Carla started, flipping open the lid on the basket and pulling out a tinfoil wrapped plate. "So, I figured I'd make sure you were eating well. I know how you get when you're busy."

He hummed noncommittally as she set two mugs onto the mahogany surface. It wasn't that he didn't appreciate the gesture, or the fact that his mother cared enough to check up on him. He did appreciate it, and it was nice that she wanted to make sure her son was well cared for. It was just. This wasn't okay. All he could think about were his friends that he'd employed. Carla was familiar with Armin, being that they grew up together, but she'd never met his college friends. He'd wanted to keep it that way, permanently.

Carla unwrapped the plate, revealing grilled chicken, roasted potatoes, and green beans. She set it in front of her son before pouring the liquid from the thermos into the cups. The aroma of coffee hit his nostrils, and once she'd picked up her mug, she sat down in front of his desk and watched him with warm eyes.

"Eat," she commanded gently, crossing her legs and taking a sip of the coffee.

Eren gave a thin smile, fingers numbly curling around a fork. He poked at the potatoes, forcing one into his mouth and chewing slowly. They tasted like ashes in his mouth, and it took all of his willpower not to throw up on his desk. His heart was being crushed in the fierce grip of anxiety, his lungs itched and burned, air unable to fill them. He felt hot and cold all at once, worry that he might faint in the background of his mind, but he continued to force himself to eat. If he did that, she wouldn't suspect anything.

Carla was talking about something, but Eren couldn't focus on her words. Every cell in his body was working to keep his panic at bay, boiling just below the surface, and he counted the seconds of every breath to make sure they stayed even. The brunet made sure to nod along, humming here and there when he thought it appropriate to show his mother he was listening, even though her words just sounded like a ringing in his ears. He took another bite of the chicken, doing his best to keep the grimace of disgust off of his face. The food tasted nothing like it should; his stomach felt sick, churning almost violently. His anxiety made him feel too hot and too cold, and it had a dizzying effect on his already overly-tired mind. He forged through, actively telling himself to tough it out. She wouldn't be here for too much longer. He just had to finish eating, and she would be on her way. She wouldn't be around his friends. She wouldn't be a threat to them.

Swallowing mechanically, his eyes lazily drifted down to the plate in front of him. He was almost there. He'd almost eaten a satisfactory amount. He was so close to getting her to leave.

"Eren?" His mother's voice finally breeched the ringing in his ears, and he looked up. She was watching him with observant caramel eyes, the set of her face molded into slight concern. His head cocked to the side to acknowledge that he was listening. "Are you okay, dear? You look a little pale."

"I'm fine, mom," he reassured smoothly, forcing a grin to his lips. His skin felt like it was going to tear itself from his face. "I'm just tired, is all."

Carla studied her son for a few moments, and then any trace of parental worry was wiped clean from her features, her good Christian smile back in place.  _We smile to show the world how much happier we are as devout Christians, Eren. God never gives us trials that we can't handle, so you always have to smile through the struggle,_  his mother had taught him. He could hear those words now, circling each other around his head until they were jumbled and made no coherent sense. It was a sentiment his parents both enforced, but he was wiser now; he knew the true meaning. Smile so that you fool everyone into thinking you're happy or better off. Smile so that you can convert people to worship a god that doesn't give a shit. Smile, smile, smile, never stop, because if you do, your struggles might swallow you up and become too much. Smile and drag yourself through the trials that you can definitely handle, because nothing is ever too hard or utterly desolate. Nothing ever lacks hope or a light at the end of your pain.

 _Tell that to those that have drowned in their "trials", who lost all hope and had no help, who thought their only option was to take their own life,_  Eren thought bitterly. What about the young LGBT people told every day that their very existence is sin, and that if they just  _prayed_  hard enough, they wouldn't struggle with being gay anymore. What about all of those fucking children taught that God's love is conditional, and so is their parents', so they better be obedient. Hate the sin, not the sinner; but since the 'sin' is who you were born as, you better loathe yourself so much that you bury your feelings and pretend to be something you're not. Or just die, because you're just an animal, a waste of space, absolutely useless.

Fuck, Eren felt physically ill. He forced down the last bite of roasted potatoes that he could, hands trembling as he set the fork on top of the plate. He curled his arms around his waist and dug his fingers into his own flesh to hide the tremors. His parents hypocricies and closed-minded views made him sick, he couldn't comprehend how someone could think like that about other human beings. He hated it. Most of the time he was afraid to admit it, even to himself, locked away in his head where no one could see it, but his brain couldn't stop the thought from bubbling up. He fucking hated his parents, hated the way they saw the world, how they treated human beings that didn't have the same views as dirt beneath their feet. He hated that he was a product of them, wanted so desperately to never become them, to be different. He could see no way out. He was their pawn, nothing more. He would always be there pawn.

Eren forced those thoughts back, unclenched his hands from around himself, and began numbly rewrapping the plate in the tinfoil. "Thanks for bringing me lunch, mom. It was great, but I'm stuffed."

"It was no problem, dear. I'd love to do it more often," Carla replied, leaning forward to start placing everything back into the basket.

Inwardly cringing, panic shot straight through his heart, and he managed to take a quiet, steadying breath. "That's very kind, mother, but don't trouble yourself for me. I promise you I'm eating. Besides, it's just a busy time of the year, so I don't know if that's a good idea. You might not get to see me at all." Eren kept his tone neutral, light. He was careful not to over-explain or rush his words out. He needed it to be believable that he was regretful of what he had to say. It didn't matter if it was the furthest thing from the truth, he just needed Carla to believe it.

"That's a shame," the brunet woman sighed, tapping her knuckles against her cheek. She smiled brightly a moment later, looking utterly unaffected. "Well, it can't be helped. You are your father's son, after all. I'm proud that you take your job so seriously."

"Yeah," Eren responded drily, hating the comparison. He smiled thinly, placing the plate into the basket before shutting it. "I'll walk you out."

Carla stood up, and Eren gathered the basket and the thermos before she had the chance to. She affectionately touched his cheek, and he tensed up all of his muscles in order to resist cringing away from the touch. "Such a gentlemen," she cooed, giving his cheek another pat.

Eren stepped away from her and led the way to his office door. He held it open for her, gesturing her out first, and together they walked down the hall. Carla was a few steps ahead of him, and once back in the reception area, she waltzed over to the coatrack. She unhooked her coat, slipping her arms inside and cinching the waist with the tie. Eren was getting ready to walk her outside when she collected the basket and thermos from his arms, giving him a lightly scolding look.

"You've got work to do, I can handle it from here."

"Of course, mom," Eren responded, robotically leaning down to kiss her cheek. "I love you." The words felt like acid on his tongue, but he smiled through it.

"I love you too, dear. Take care," Carla called cheerily over her shoulder, waving a free hand as she juggled the other items with one arm.

Eren watched her leave from the other side of the shut door. A cold sweat was prickling at his skin, but he had to make it back to his office. He turned slowly and began trudging towards the hall, his movements reminiscent of a zombie.

"That was your mom?" Historia piped up from her desk, her fingers twirling a strand of flaxen hair absentmindedly. Eren only nodded in response. "She seems like a nice lady. A little pushy when I said I had to make sure you were able to take a visitor, insisted it would be okay. But isn't that such a mom thing?"

"Yeah," the lawyer forced out, his voice rough like he was parched. Historia had no fucking clue.

Without a care that he might seem rude, or that Historia might be worried at his sudden departure, Eren forced his legs to move him down the hall. The trip back to his office seemed to take eternity, and once the door fell shut with a resounding  _click,_  Eren rushed towards his desk. He collapsed into his chair and snatched up the wastebasket, purging all of the food he'd forced into his stomach. He hacked and heaved, until no traces of the lunch was left, and he tied off the bag with shaking hands.

Now that he was safely away in his office, and his mother was no longer encroaching where she didn't belong, blind panic smashed into him like an out of control car. He couldn't breathe, his skin feeling too tight. His ribs were caving in, crushing his lungs, and his heart beat frantically against his sternum, trying to tear its way free. He gasped loudly, sucking in whatever air he could get, and he was vaguely aware that he was hyperventilating. He was unable to focus on the fact that he was having a panic attack, his thoughts fragmented and demanding attention, flying through his mind, warring with each other.

Historia, sweet Historia with an angel's smile. Ymir, abrasive but caring and protective. Jean, short-tempered and aggressive, but there to have your back in an instant. Kind and gentle Marco, always with a smile lighting up his freckled face. And Armin, his best friend from childhood. Utterly caring and so fucking smart. Fuck. They were his family, his home away from home. His hands were shaking so hard he knocked his stapler from his desk. His precious friends, who he'd sworn to protect from his parents the moment he'd met them. His family whose sexualities didn't  _define_  them, didn't make them less than human, didn't fucking change who they were at their core. His family that his parents would smile at and condemn to hell in one fucking breath if they knew. Who might try to coerce them into submitting willingly to conversion therapy, with their malice-tainted eyes and saccharine promises dripping from lying tongues. Carla and Grisha were well-versed in manipulation; give them enough information to go off of, and they could bend you to their wills. A wolf had marched into the rabbit's den, head held high and decorated in pelts to blend in. Lucky that she didn't sense the differentness of all of those around her. Lucky her idea of being gay came in a horribly stereotypical caricature of flamboyance, something that only in this situation Eren would be thankful for. His friends had all survived the encounter. This time.

Armin was already unlucky enough to know Eren's parents, seeing as how they grew up together. But he was unaware of just how hateful the Jaeger's were behind closed doors. He knew nothing of their views, or their righteous hate. He may have remembered, but he didn't have all of the facts. He knew only face value, and Eren was damn well going to keep it that way. He'd paint his life to be ideal and unproblematic as best as he could, to spare Armin any pain or ill-intentioned words. Smile, like his mother taught him, until everyone around him believed it.

The rest of his friends didn't have to know his parents. He was going to keep them the  _fuck_  away from his family, who meant so much to him his chest ached. He wouldn't let harm befall them in the forms of Carla and Grisha. He would protect them at all costs. They deserved to be safe and happy. He swore on his own life that they'd never be at the mercy of his mother's cruel tongue or in his father's vicious clutches.

He didn't know how long it took for his panic attack to finally subside, but his skin was drenched in sweat, and the edges of his vision were blurry. His entire body was tense, trembling, and his breathing was erratic, but he'd gained some semblance of control. He just had to get through work, and he could go home. Experience told him that he would be on edge and twitchy for the rest of the day. His paranoia was on high alert, and he was just waiting for his mother to burst back through his door to demean his coworkers and demand they all be fired. His eyes kept flicking up to stare at the door, his ears prickling at any sound, and he'd flinch anytime his intercom beeped.

He missed Levi. Fuck, he just wanted to feel safe and genuinely cared for. He wanted the singer to wrap his arms around him and hold on tight. Eren wanted Levi so badly it made desperate tears well up in his eyes, but he didn't allow them to fall. Levi was safety, was warmth, and gentleness. Levi was calm. Just several hours more, and he'd be able to content himself with a phone call to the older man. He'd get home late, but he knew Levi would be awake, would be waiting for his call. That's what he kept telling himself to get through the rest of the day. He could even shoot him a text or two between clients.

Maybe Levi couldn't hold him, but a phone call would be enough.

* * *

" _Let's call it a wrap for today, guys,"_  Erwin's voice came over Levi's headset, and the singer released a relived sigh. He tugged the headset off before his manager could continue speaking, and hung it on the mic stand.

It had been a while since the band was able to finish work early. Erwin must have been extremely pleased with how the recording had went. As Hange and Miche began putting their things away and cleaning up, Levi sat down in the chair and quickly tuned his guitar. He knew he wasn't going to want to do it tomorrow morning, and they had a few new songs to go over, which was sure to take up the majority of the day. Whenever the singer composed a new song, the band had to discuss how to present it, how to mesh the lyrics with the instruments, brainstorm and practice until they liked the way it sounded. Erwin's approval would be sought out, and he typically never had a problem with how the three musicians arranged the songs, so they would spend the rest of the workday rehearsing them so that by the time they were expected to record them, it would be second nature. Even though Levi, Hange, and Miche all worked well together (a decade of manning a band together would do that), they'd often have times that they clashed, where one thought a song would be better done with a different sound than originally intended. It typically included a huge argument, peppered with colorful insults from Levi, before it eventually got worked out.

Levi always had visions for his songs, and he didn't typically appreciate Hange or Miche trying to alter it, but there had been plenty of times that he begrudgingly agreed that they were right. No Name didn't have a set sound or genre that they stuck to; they were adaptable, and they liked it that way. It meant that any song that Levi wrote would have a sound developed that encompassed it and suited it perfectly. The singer didn't give a shit if fans liked that or not—though they seemed to eat it up—because it's just what the three of them enjoyed. They didn't like being held back or constrained. They were just No Name, and that was exactly how they wanted it to be.

Strumming his fingers down the strings a few times, Levi hummed in satisfaction at the sound. He carefully set his guitar down in its stand, rising to his feet and striding out of the recording booth. Now that he didn't have music to focus on, thoughts of Eren flooded his mind. Scowling, the singer tugged a cardigan on almost violently. He hadn't seen Eren since Valentine's Day, and he'd gone from miserable and moping to pissed off and extremely irritable. It wasn't the brunet's fault, and Levi didn't hold anything against him. He completely understood how busy he was, to the point that it became worry, because really, all it seemed like the lawyer was doing now was working. Levi couldn't even make sure if the brat was taking care of himself, because he didn't get to see him. It was driving Levi up the wall stir-crazy.

He missed Eren so violently he felt like his heart was tearing itself to shreds. He just wanted to see him, hold his hand or hold him close, it didn't fucking matter. A fleeting five seconds would be better than this. Any time he wasn't distracted, his whole being was consumed with Eren and missing him that he thought he might implode. He wasn't sure how much more of this he could handle. He needed a damn distraction or else he was going to ride the elevator to the roof of the studio and fling himself off.

Speaking of distractions. "Hey," Levi drawled, drawing the attention of his bandmates, manager, and producer. It had been a while since any of them had really seen one another outside of having to work. Hange was the only exception to that, being his roommate and all. It wouldn't hurt for them to be able to shoot the shit and catch up. And he really fucking needed that distraction. "Let's go to a bar or something."

Hange lit up and screeched, bounding over to Levi and throwing herself at him. He stumbled slightly, but kept his balance and supported both of their weights. "Yes! We have to! Grumpy himself suggested it!"

"Hell must've frozen over," Erwin joked, a smirk curling his lips. "Levi never wants to hang out with us."

"Tch, you fuckin asshole. I changed my mind," the singer huffed, arms hooking under Hange's legs as she drew them up to wrap around his hips, her arms locked around his neck.

"You can't back out  _now,"_  his best friend whined, her head tossed back in distress. "I wanna go."

"Fine, fine, Shitty Glasses," he grumbled, but he was far from displeased. He really needed to get out of the fucking studio and his apartment once in a while.

Ignoring the others, knowing they'd come along without prompting, Levi gave Hange a piggyback ride all the way to the elevator without breaking a sweat. His heart was full of warmth as she bounced around, her excited chatter hitting his ears as she rambled on. He'd never say it out loud, but he really loved Hange and saw her not only as his best friend, but his sister. He really wasn't sure why she'd stuck to him so much, seeing as how he had been so much older than her, and Mikasa had been all around friendlier than him. Maybe it was the whole older brother aspect that Hange had missed out on, being an only child. Whatever it was, he was thankful that she was a damn leech that never left him alone. After all, she'd moved to Trost immediately after graduating, just showed up at his and Miche's doorstep with a single suitcase and the biggest grin he'd ever seen.

He was lucky that she stuck around a senile old fucking grouch like him.

Apparently he needed a stiff fucking drink, because now he was being a sentimental fool. Not that anyone had to know.

The elevator dinged, and the doors slid open, allowing Levi to step inside. Hange continued to cling to his back like an oversized monkey, and soon the three other men joined them. They all rode down to the basement level together, separating to head to their respective cars. Levi waltzed up to his, unlocking it with the fob, and pulled the passenger door open.

"Okay, fatass, ride's over," Levi said, turning his back to the door so Hange could slip down into her seat.

She glared at him over her glasses and pouted out her bottom lip, her eyes dancing with amusement. "You don't even look winded for carrying a fatass."

Levi snorted, shutting her door and rounding the car. He slipped into his seat and started the car fluidly, seatbelt pulled on shortly after. He pulled out of the parking garage and was closely followed by three other cars. It wasn't very late into the evening, only around 5pm, and the sun was already riding low on the horizon. It'd still be a couple hours before the sun officially set, but the sky was gradually shifting hues. The singer took the familiar roads, turning when necessary, and eventually he pulled to a stop outside of The Wall. Shutting off the car, he felt a pang in his heart, and he suddenly regretted choosing this bar.

With a shake of his head, he pushed his memories of Eren stumbling out of the black door and into his arms to the back of his mind. Later, he could reflect later and mope in bed. Right now, he needed to focus on having a relaxing time with his friends.

Hange jumped out of the car and sprinted up to the front door, not bothering to wait for anyone. She was already ordering a drink at the bar when the rest of the group filtered inside. The men all slipped into barstools around her, with Erwin on Levi's right, and Miche and Farlan sitting to the left of Hange.

"First round's on me, ladies," the singer drawled, sneering at his friends. He ordered a white russian and paid no mind to whatever everyone else ordered. It's not like the drink prices were outrageous here, and money was expendable enough that he wasn't concerned.

The group poked fun at each other, generally at Farlan's expense. He was utterly infatuated with Eren's little sister, and he could be seen texting her more often than not. If the ash blond man had a phone in his hand, chances were he was in the middle of a conversation with the little redhead. They all had a laugh at his predicament, calling him a cradle robber, joking about how obviously whipped he was when they weren't even dating. Miche, who typically was the quietest in the group, spoke up about how Farlan had ripped his own balls off and shoved them in her purse the first night they met. That got everyone laughing, even the man in question, though his face was the reddest it had ever been.

After finishing his drink, Levi ordered another, but he didn't intend to have anymore than that. He was going to be the one in charge of getting Hange home, and she was more of a handful drunk than Eren was. The tension that had slowly been melting from his body instantly snapped back, and he scowled down at his drink. His thumb smeared over the condensation, his thoughts tugged in the direction of the winsome brunet. Levi was aware that he'd gone 2 months straight without seeing Eren, and that it had only been roughly a month this time around. However, he was far less attached then, because he barely knew the man, and those two months had been spent on the tour bus from hell getting to know him. Now, however, he was attached. That was as much as he was willing to admit. He was just straight fucked and attached to the goddamn enigma that was Eren Jaeger. He refused to think of all the negatives that the future held.

Erwin bumped his shoulder into Levi's, blessedly drawing him out of his thoughts. However, he still scowled at the blond giant. "What do you want?" The singer sucked his teeth, as if he were annoyed at being pulled from his musings.

Unfazed, Erwin met his gaze with knowing baby blues, a smirk curling his lips. Instead of addressing the elephant in the room, the manager hit Levi with a question he wasn't expecting, officially blindsiding him.

"So, how did you and Eren  _actually_  meet? Because I highly doubt you were dead drunk in an alley trying to suck the nearest dick you could get your hands on," the blond said casually, a low chuckle leaving his lips.

His question had drawn Hange's attention, mostly because she'd heard Eren's name. Her head snapped over to her roommate and manager, and the biggest shit-eating grin split her lips, her eyes flashing deviously.

"Levi thought he was a prostitute and threw a wad of cash at him," she said animatedly, leaning precariously on her seat towards the men.

The singer in question snorted, shooting her an amused glance. Erwin's brow furrowed. "No, seriously."

"I picked him up while he was hitchhiking and made him pay with his ass," Levi drawled, causing Hange to snort her drink and choke on her laughter.

He patted her back, making sure she could still breathe and that her airways were clear.

"Levi," Erwin sighed with exasperation.

"Levi was in the market for a pet and stumbled on Eren with a set of cat ears and a fuzzy buttplug instead."

" _Hange,"_  their manager wheezed, like he wasn't sure whether to laugh or be disturbed.

"I met him at a gay bar and told him he was a snack and I wanted him to raw me."

"Eren was the Master at a BDSM dungeon and made Levi his fucktoy."

"You two are  _impossible,"_  Erwin stressed, shooting them both a look that was half-amused, half-revolted. "Will one of you impossible  _children_  tell me the damn truth. Or just stop talking. I'd be fine with that."

Levi hummed, glancing over at Hange with a shrug. They'd had fun teasing Erwin, he could see the mirth in her eyes. Besides, they did agree that once his case had been handled and he wasn't being carted off to jail, they'd tell their manager what had happened. It wouldn't do any harm. Like Levi had said before, there wasn't any use getting angry if the problem had already been solved.

"I got arrested," Levi announced, deadpan.

Farlan spat his drink all over the counter. Miche turned to stare at Levi, but he didn't look surprised. His nose probably told him all about it, the fucking weirdo. The singer looked back at his manager, taking a long sip of his drink. Erwin was studying him, his expression saying he thought Levi was once again joking, but as the moments passed, it morphed into disbelief and irritation. He raised a big bushy brow, his lips set into a grim line, and his eyes seemed to demand an elaboration.

So Levi obliged. He cleared his throat and set his glass down, turning a little on his stool to fully face his manager. "I got pulled over because the twink I picked up at a bar was holding and manhandled my dick. The officer thought I was drunk, saw the other guy holding a bag of powder, arrested us both. They tried to slap me with false charges and didn't read me my Miranda rights, so I got a lawyer."

Erwin opened and closed his mouth several times before finally speaking. "Why didn't you  _tell_  me? I would have done something about it." He almost seemed offended.

"Because you act like my fuckin' mom. You'd have been pissed and I never would have heard the end of it," Levi retorted, giving Bushybrows a pointed look. Erwin knew he had a point, so he switched tactics.

"Well then why Eren?"

"Because he's the only lawyer that I knew of that wasn't in your pocket, and I knew it wouldn't get back to you before I'd had it handled." Levi hummed in thought, glancing over at the blond from the corner of his eye and trying to assess his mood. "You're not allowed to be too upset, because now you have contact with him."

Erwin made a distressed noise, seemingly coming to the conclusion that Levi was right. He shot a begrudging look at the singer, before releasing a breath and shaking his head. "You're a handful, you know that?"

Levi shrugged, tossing a smirk at his manager. "I can be whatever I want to be, Shitbrows. I'm the  _talent._ "

"Not if I manage to get rid of you," Erwin muttered, but Levi merely huffed a laugh, shaking his head.

Now that he'd gotten that off of his chest, he felt a lot lighter. Levi hadn't realised how much keeping that secret from his friends was weighing on him. Besides, he didn't want the way he'd met Eren to be shrouded in lies. He really liked the brat, wanted him around a lot more. He wanted the both of them to be able to be honest and not have to hide anything on his behalf. And now he was back to thinking about Eren, he realised miserably. His lips pulled down into a dark frown, his brows furrowing and hooding his already heavily lidded eyes in shadow. This wouldn't be so fucking hard if he didn't miss him so much. It was impossible to banish thoughts of someone you thought about every waking moment. Hell, he even dreamt about the brat.

Hange ordered another screwdriver, turning to look at her roommate. The aura that was radiating off of him was depressing as hell. She sighed through her nose, taking a long drink from the glass she held. She wanted to help. Levi's mood was only getting worse the longer he went without being able to see Eren. If there was just some way that they could meet.

Oh.

"Levi," Hange trilled, drawing his attention to her. Once his gaze was settled on her and she had his full concentration, she leaned close, lowering her voice so that only he could hear. "Didn't he give you a key?"

Oh.  _Oh._  Levi hadn't thought about that. Eren had in fact given him a key to his house. Eren trusted him with it, so who was to say that the singer couldn't show up unannounced, surprise the brunet with a homecooked dinner and cuddles? He knew how overworked Eren was, but he didn't know the extent of the toll it was taking on him since he hadn't seen him with his own eyes. Was Eren eating? Was he sleeping well? He hadn't really divulged those details to Levi whenever they got to talk.

Seeing the way Levi's eyes lit up made a smile break out over her face. Seemed like he'd realised the ability he possessed and had made up his mind.

"Erwin, could I catch a ride home with you?" she piped up, and the blond looked over at her with confusion.

"Yeah," Levi breathed out. "I just realised I have somewhere I need to be." He stood up, looking over his friends. "Let's do this again sometime soon."

They all agreed, and Erwin, though curious of the reason, agreed to give Hange a ride home. Levi gave her a quick hug that nobody missed, and was out the door before anyone could tease him about actually having feelings or being a secret softie. He climbed into his car and took off as soon as it started up. Now that he knew he could see Eren, he was impatient. He wanted to make sure he had ample time to cook for the brunet. He wanted to see his beautiful smile. His foot inched down on the gas pedal.  _Soon,_  he thought.

* * *

Levi sprinkled mozzarella cheese overtop of the freshly made spaghetti. He'd thoroughly mixed it with the tomato sauce he'd made from scratch, and several small meatballs were scattered throughout it. The oven was already on and preheated, so he carefully lifted the pan and placed it inside. He set a timer for ten minutes, only needing the baked spaghetti to be in there long enough to melt the cheese. Levi really wasn't sure if the meal was something that Eren would find comforting, but it was something his mother always made when he'd had a rough day, and he was hoping the hot pasta would at least help the brunet unwind. His nerves were alight, making his heart race, and he raked his hands through his hair anxiously. He really hoped that Eren wouldn't be upset that Levi was here. He desperately wanted his presence to be a welcomed surprise.

The singer made his way into the living room, and as he was about to settle onto the couch, he heard a car pull into the drive, followed by headlights flashing momentarily against the front windows. His heart sped up, a feat that had previously seemed impossible, and he practically sprinted to the front door, tripping over himself with an uncharacteristic clumsiness. Eren was home. Levi turned the handle and nearly yanked the door open violently, coming face to face with the tall lawyer.

Eren froze on his porch, ocean eyes wide in shock. He'd seen Levi's car sitting in the driveway, and that had given him a small moment of relief, but it was heavily tainted from the day's paranoia and his mother's unexpected visit. He was still on edge, his mind in overdrive, and anxiety rolling unpleasantly in his gut. He quickly cast a paranoid glance around his yard, eyes going to stare at the road in fear, before he rushed into the house and threw the door shut.

Locking it firmly in place, the only sounds to be heard was his harsh breathing and his irregularly pounding heart. Wheeling around on his heel, he bore down over Levi, his face twisted into a mix of rage and fear.

"Levi, you can't  _do_  that!" He shouted, startling the shorter man into taking a small step back. Eren dropped his briefcase on the floor with a heavy  _thud._  For all he knew, it had popped open on impact and spilled all of his cases onto the floor. He didn't care.

Levi was beyond shocked, his eyes flying wide. This was not the reaction he was expecting. "I—" he started, but was cut off by the taller man.

"No!" Eren's hands came up and he gripped onto his own hair, his fingers digging painfully into his scalp. "You can't just open the fucking door like that! What if it wasn't me? What if someone else was at the door? What if somebody saw you here?! What if—" he cut himself off, too scared to even utter the words, lest it set it in motion.  _What if it had been my mother?_

Tensing up, Levi carefully flicked his gaze over Eren in the dim light of the entryway. The brunet looked  _petrified_ , like fear was all he knew. He almost resembled a wounded animal that was lashing out from alarm and dread. Eren's stance was aggressive, like he was trying to pick a fight without actually wanting one. Taking a deep breath, the singer forced himself to remain calm. He wasn't going to snap back, wasn't going to engage in something that would do more harm than good. Something had happened, something was very obviously bothering Eren, and he wasn't going to make it worse.

"I'm sorry, Eren," Levi murmured, brushing his wavy locks out of his face. "I'll be more careful."

Eren made a distressed sound in the back of his throat, yanking on his hair so hard it made him wince. The panic was back full force, and he shoved past Levi and stormed down the hall, slamming his bedroom door.

Levi stood in the entryway, unsure of what to do. He stared at the front door, his arms curling around his torso as he sucked in a breath.  _What the fuck,_  he thought numbly. The sound of the oven's timer going off drew him away from the entrance, his feet padding slowly as he tried to process what the fuck had just happened. He didn't know how to help, didn't know what was wrong. He felt helpless, useless. What good was he? Levi shut the timer off before carefully removing the pan from the oven, mitts encasing his calloused hands. He covered the baked spaghetti with foil, but left it sitting on the stove. It was far too hot to be put in the fridge just yet, and a small part of him hoped that Eren would come out and eat.

To give himself something to do, Levi busied his hands with making tea. Eren had stocked his cupboards with it shortly after the singer started frequenting his house, a fact which made a mixture of happiness and pain lance straight through his heart. His fingers instantly sought out Chamomile, knowing that it was a calming infusion. He set the kettle to boil, then tugged out a couple of tea bags and set out two mugs. In his own home, Levi preferred loose-leaf tea. He bought expensive tins of it, and had everything required to prepare it properly. However, tea bags were more easy to manage elsewhere, so he was willing to make do. Once the water had finished boiling, he poured it carefully into each mug, then dipped the bags in to steep. Immediately the sweet aroma washed over him, and he took a deep breath, closing his eyes.

He wasn't going to leave. Eren was upset, and he needed Levi, whether he realised that at the moment or not. Until the brunet was ready to talk, Levi was going to sit his ass down on the couch and make himself comfortable. Preparing his mind for a long night, Levi removed the tea bags and threw them away before carefully picking up both mugs and carrying them into the living room. He set Eren's on the coffee table and sat down, bringing his own to his lips to take a small sip. Distantly, he could hear the faint hiss of a shower running in the background, and assumed that Eren was taking a shower. Levi settled back, clutching the rim of his cup, and ignored the bundle of nerves infecting his throat and stomach. He'd wait until morning and then some, he decided. However long it took Eren to calm down enough to come out.

Levi didn't have to wait very long. Shortly after the sound of the shower cut off, the brunet's bedroom door creaked open, and the soft padding of footsteps made Levi's ears prick. He turned his head to the hallway, where Eren came to a hesitant stop at the mouth. Nervously, the lawyer glanced up at his counterpart with remorse heavy on his features. He made no move to step forward, so the singer brought a hand up in invitation.

Timidly, Eren took one tiny step after the other until he reached the couch. He sat down next to Levi, who leaned forward to pick up the other mug of tea. Wordlessly passing it to the taller man, he watched as Eren took a gulp of it, breathing in deeply through his nose. Silence pervaded the air as they finished their tea, and once the mugs were placed back onto the coffee table, Eren hesitantly scooted closer, worried that Levi would be upset from his outburst and not want him near.

He had nothing to worry about, apparently, because as soon as he was close enough, Levi snaked his arms around him and pulled him close. He tucked his counterpart's head into the crook of his neck, and Eren gripped tightly onto his shoulderblades.

"I'm so sorry, Levi," he whispered, shame coating his voice as hot tears pooled in his eyes. "Fuck, I'm sorry."

Levi cooed, adjusting his hold and leaning back into the arm of the couch, so that they were half-sprawled over the cushions and Eren was situated in his lap. "What happened, baby?"

"I—my mom," Eren started, swallowing a whimper and forcing his tears not to breach his eyes. "She came to my work. She's not supposed to be there, Levi. My friends. All my friends, she can't meet them. She showed up without warning, barged in." He sucked in a breath, burrowing in closer and breathing in, greedily drinking in Levi's scent. Cloves, the faintest hint of cigarettes, and Levi, now tinged with the relaxing aroma of chamomile. Levi's hand was rubbing soothing circles into his back, and he could feel his muscles finally losing their tension. "They have to be kept safe. They're my family."

"I understand, Bright Eyes," Levi breathes against Eren's hair, tightening his hold. Deep, hard rage simmers in his gut, and he clenches his teeth. Fuck the Jaeger's for hurting Eren and making him revert back to a fearful child. Levi desperately wants to save him. "It's okay now."

"I shouldn't have—I'm sorry… you didn't do anything wrong, and I…" Eren sobbed, his eyes falling tightly shut as he tries to stop the tears, though a few traitors slip through.

"Baby, don't apologize. It's okay, you were scared." His calloused fingers gently card through russet tresses, lips brushing a kiss to the top of his head. "You did nothing wrong. I'm here, I'm not upset at you. I'm upset for you."

Eren nuzzled his face against Levi's neck, trying to calm himself down. The singer tried to get the brunet to look at him, but he shook his head, refusing. He didn't feel worthy, couldn't bring himself to look into those understanding heather eyes. He didn't deserve such kindness, after all. He'd yelled at Levi when he didn't do anything wrong.

" _Mon étoile,"_  Levi murmured, his tone dropping with a gentle command. "Look at me."

Slowly lifting his head, Eren met Levi's eyes. He earned a whisper of praise, Levi's thumb brushing away stray tears. Whatever did Eren do to deserve such a caring man coming into his life? He didn't deserve it, but fuck if he didn't want to hang on desperately for as long as he was allowed. Levi placed the ghost of a kiss against his forehead, nose, cheekbones, trailing his lips along his face in such a gentle way that it broke Eren's heart. The brunet tilted his head to meet their lips in a chaste kiss, and when they pulled back, he inhaled softly, every bit of tension dissipating from his body.

"I missed you," Eren sighed, resting their foreheads against one another. "So fucking much."

"I missed you too, baby," Levi returned, gently nuzzling his nose against Eren's in a heart-fluttering eskimo kiss. "So much, in fact, that I made you dinner."

"You're too good to me," the brunet hummed, curling his arms up around his counterpart's neck to hug him tenderly.

When they parted, Levi led them into the kitchen and made sure to feed Eren a heaping portion. He was looking a little on the thinner side, and that shot alarm through him. Apparently he needed to make this nightly visit a routine, to make sure the fucking brat took care of himself. After they'd eaten together, and Levi had put the leftovers away, Eren convinced him the dishes could wait, and the two men trailed off to the bedroom. They settled in amongst the pillows and blankets, limbs tangled and bodies pressed together. Neither Eren nor Levi struggled with insomnia, sleep sweeping them under within a few minutes. Before fully going under, Eren sleepily decided that this is exactly where he belonged, and he curled even closer to the shorter man in his embrace.

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> There you have it, babes. I hope you enjoyed it. I know there was some angsty bits, but don't we all love a bit of angst? What did you think of this chapter? Did the bar scene make any of you laugh? I was having a fuck ton of fun coming up with silly scenarios, so I hope you had fun reading them. Also, Hange and Levi's friendship is goals, and it makes me so soft. What adorable dorks. Tell me your favorite parts! Tell me the parts you hate! Leave comments below with your feedback and thoughts, I cherish them. I read and respond to every single comment (I say this every time, you guys already know this, but hey, it might give others the courage to comment if they're worried their comment wouldn't make a difference. Trust me, you sweet little fucks, they make all the difference to me). 
> 
> I need to sleep, I'm really rambling now. So sorry.
> 
> Oh, before I do that. I could let you all go in blind, really smack you in the face and leave you unprepared. But I'm feeling (very) mildly nice, so I'm not going to do that. The next chapter that I post is going to be angst. So much angst. I'm going to do my very best to elicit tears from you angels. So bring tissues. It's going to be rough, and dark. And so fucking horrible. You hate Eren's parents already? That's nothing compared to how you're going to feel when you read the next chapter. I know I'm hyping it up in the worst way. I hope I can actually do a good job and make it everything I've been hoping it'll be. I've been planning this chapter since about the time I wrote chapter 2. So. Look forward to that??? Yeah, look forward to all the pain I'm gonna inflict on you. That's a way to put it. *squints*
> 
> ...I need to sleep.
> 
> All the love, until next time, Ritsy. I hope the next chapter won't make you hate my guts!


	23. March is for Memories

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> Good morning. I've brought you the promised chapter. I'm going to start with saying that this is now the current longest chapter in this fic. More importantly, however, is that this chapter is extremely heavy. Previous chapters that have had angst came with humor or fluff, to lighten them up. With this, however, there is none of that. This chapter is pure angst. I have poured my blood, sweat, and tears into this. I've been planning this chapter for such a long time, it is SO important; therefore, I wanted it to be as perfect as I could make it. I restarted 3 different times, deleted entire pages and rewrote them. I'm anxious and hoping that I was able to write this the way I'd intended. I want this to elicit so much emotion in you. I joked about bringing a tissue box in last chapter's notes, but I don't know if I have the skill to bring anyone to tears. That being said, I did my best, and I'm proud of how this chapter turned out.
> 
> I have to warn you, when I say that this chapter is heavy, I truly mean that. It's dark, and it explains so, so much. You'll see what I mean when you read it. I'm going to edit it later, because I need to sleep. I've been up all night diligently writing. So apologies for any errors it has, as I'm sure there are many.
> 
> I would say to enjoy this chapter, but I highly doubt it'll bring you any joy. Good luck!

The sounds of a synthesizer and a keyboard melding together resonate inside the midsized recording booth, building a hypnotic melody. Levi brought his lips to the microphone, breathing out a few lyrics, his slim, calloused fingers moving with practiced ease to strike a chord. Dissonance rang out from his guitar, throwing off the beat of the song, and shattering through the intense focus that his bandmates had had. The singer tried quickly to fumble his digits into the correct position along the frets, but the damage had been done. The instruments all came to a sudden, harsh stop, and Levi pinched his eyes tightly shut, jaw clenched almost painfully, a breath inhaled sharply through his nostrils.

" _You were playing the wrong chords again, Levi,"_  Erwin sighed through his headset.  _"That's, what, the seventh time in a 30 minute session?"_

Levi's eyes open to slits, and his hardened silver irises narrow and glare as mutinously as possible. Saying nothing, he tears the headset from atop his head, mussing his hair up from the rough action, and launches it with such force and accuracy that it slams into the glass separating the musicians from their manager and producer. Hange flinches, and all four of his companions watch in tense silence as a crack spiderwebs out from the point of impact, and the makeshift projectile falls onto the floor with a clatter in numerous pieces. Levi is already yanking the guitar strap over his head, unceremoniously dropping his instrument and stepping over it. His feet carry him forward swiftly, his hand raised to proudly display his middle finger. The singer storms from the booth and slams the door with all of the force he can muster, leaving everyone in a silence so heavy and thick, you could hear a pin drop.

" _Jesus, the fuck's his problem?"_  Farlan asked no one in particular, after several tense moments passed. Not a single person had an answer for him.

Erwin rubbed at his temples with index and middle fingers, his eyes falling shut. Annoyance was radiating from him, but he restrained himself enough that his voice came out smoothly.  _"Take five, you two."_

Levi marched towards the studio's exit, violently snagging his leather jacket from the coatrack it had innocently rested on. Anger, irritation, and so many other thoughts and feelings that flew by too fast for him to get a grasp on seeped from his pores, his emotions carrying him down the hall to the elevator. He jammed his finger so hard against the call button that it made a metallic noise of distress, and he impatiently tapped his foot. After what felt like eternity but had only been a minute or so, the elevator dinged its arrival, and the doors opened invitingly. He stomped into the claustrophobic metal deathtrap, punching the roof button several times before switching to repeatedly push the close door button. Another ding, and the doors slid shut. Leaning back, Levi dug his pack of cigarettes out of his pocket, tapping one out and sticking it between his lips. He was too much in his head to give a shit about the no smoking inside rule, and flicked his lighter to life, taking a deep drag on his cigarette once lit.

Head resting back against the wall, Levi kept the cigarette between his teeth, exhaling smoke from his nose in a way that resembled a seething dragon. The doors opened after a small chime, and he stepped out onto the roof of the studio, a shiver from the chill working its way up his spine. He trudged forward, sucking in the sweet fucking nicotine into his lungs, before exhaling loudly. His eyes absentmindedly observed the curling shapes from the toxic wisps rising out of his nose, watching them dissipate in the breeze. He let muscle memory guide him to a bench, and he plopped down harshly, wincing from the metal and wood digging into his flesh. Levi cast his gaze towards the sky, watching rich hues of coral and wine sunset bleeding into the plum and sapphire tones of twilight.

Thoughts of Eren drifted through his mind. After he'd shown up at the brunet's house unannounced, Levi had made it a point to spend as many nights as he could manage with him. It didn't always pan out, but he could say with confidence that he'd gone over at least every other day or so. He made sure the brat was eating and sleeping, would even force him to put his casefiles away. Levi understood what it meant to be busy, but there was no reason for Eren to overwork himself. Time spent at home should be used for relaxation, not more work. The lawyer had gotten frustrated a handful of times, mostly when Levi strode up and flipped his file shut, glowering down at him with the heat of the sun in his artic eyes. The singer didn't know what Eren expected when he'd staunchly refused to listen to his warnings, and if the brat continued to be stubborn, those warnings became threats to drag him screaming from his desk and into bed. It was around the time when Levi started to make good on his threats that Eren would relent—not without an extreme amount of sass—and leave his desk on his own.

No matter how frustrated and argumentative the brunet seemed to get with his counterpart, he didn't raise his voice at him again. Levi could still see the guilt roiling in his sea-glass and honey gaze, no matter how much he tried to reassure him that he hadn't done anything wrong.

Levi also made it a habit to regularly text Eren every day; during his breaks, during lunch, any moment of free time he had to spare. It seemed that the brat had decided to do the same; their messaging had greatly increased from 4 or 5 texts a day to a steady flow of conversation, coming mostly in small bursts with short gaps in between. They both felt like it was extremely important to keep in touch, Levi for his own sanity and Eren so that his pining was kept to a minimum, and he could focus more while working. The open line of communicate helped to ease the two men, each knowing that the other was only a phone call—or if it felt urgent, a quick drive—away.

 _However._  Levi considered this word, stretching it out in his mind as he removed his cigarette from his lips to flick ash onto the concrete. He placed it back between his teeth and took a slow drag, trying to organize his thoughts into a tangible cohesive string that he could grasp onto rather than a writhing mass of smoke.  _However,_  he tried again, testing the word in his mind almost timidly; no matter how much he'd been around or texted Eren, as the month of March began to draw to a close, the brunet seemed…  _off,_  somehow. Levi couldn't put his finger on it, not really. It was just something he'd picked up on, subtle cues that struck him as odd, drawing his attention and making unease worm its way through his heart like it was a rotten apple core. Eren possessed about him an edge, tension never quite seeming to melt away no matter how Levi tried. It was in the way his disparate eyes would flutter downwards, away from the singer; a wall being placed where there'd been none before. A closed-offness that gradually consumed his aura at such a slow rate, that days had gone by before Levi had noticed it.

At first, Levi had attributed Eren's jumpiness to his mother's surprise visit, but soon it became clear that after they'd discussed it, it no longer bothered the younger man. No, it was something else, something deeper. Small things, tiny and easily missed if you weren't looking for it, we building up behind the scenes, unclear and blurry, but there nonetheless. Everything had gone from indistinct and fuzzy, hardly noticeable unless one was observing closely, to about as subtle as a horse loose in a china shop.

Levi knew something was wrong four nights ago, when he was jolted awake by the thrashing of Eren's limbs and a heart-wrenching outpour of whimpers, whines, and pained groans falling from his lips. At first, in his bleary, half-awake state, he'd thought his counterpart was having a seizure, his heart thrown into hyperdrive, but as awareness quickly stole over him, he realised that the brunet was having a nightmare. The sudden scream that Eren let out made the hair on Levi's arms stand on end, goosebumps prickling across his skin. It more so resembled a mournful wail than a cry of fear; long-drawn out, saturated with such a deep grief that it weighed heavily on his ribcage. The sound had spurred him into action, and he'd instantly curled his arms around Eren, stilling his limbs and gently murmuring sweet nothings in his ear, a mixture of French and English. In between mollifying whispers, he would sing his mother's lullabies softly against Eren's throat, hands soothing over russet locks and sweat-dampened skin. Levi watched with apprehension as the brunet's furrowed brow smoothed out, his pitiful noises ceased, and his breathing evened out from the shallow, uneven inhalations and exhalations. He pressed fluttering kisses all over the taller man's face and neck, continuing his comforting murmurs in his ear, and wiped away glistening trails of tears shed in slumber from his feverish cheeks. He held Eren even after his body settled, weighed back down into a dreamless sleep, cradling him so tenderly it was as if the boy in his arms was made of fragile glass, and so much as holding him a little too tightly would cause him to shatter.

The episode had repeated itself only two nights later, although it was much more violent. Eren's elbow landed a hard blow into Levi's gut, effectively knocking the wind out of him. Once he'd gotten his breath back, he swept in to cradle the lamenting brunet, but earned himself a kick to the nuts. Pain bloomed, his body cringing, and he grit his teeth through it, trying his best to ignore it so that Eren could have his full attentiveness.

"Baby, it's okay, it's just me," he'd hummed, tone low and smooth as honey. "I'm right here, it's just me."

Carefully, slow so as not to startle his sleeping counterpart, he slid his hands up and down his arms, trying to be soothing. The anguished keens chilled Levi to his very core, but the broken sobbing that soon followed tore his heart to shreds. Tears tracked down Eren's cheeks, his eyes shut tightly with his face twisted up into a mask of despair. His limbs twitched and jerked, but as soon as Levi was able to fully wrap his own body around him, he felt the taller man's muscles melt, tension oozing out of them. His whimpering continued, though, and each heartbroken intonation dug sharp claws into Levi's lungs. He kept talking, singing, murmuring incoherent phrases, all in the hopes that it would ease Eren's suffering. He feared waking him from whatever nightmare he was having, didn't know how he'd react to the singer seeing him in this state; he didn't want to run the risk of embarrassing him. Levi wanted to spare Eren the shame that he felt when waking from his own bad dreams, shaking, vulnerable, weak, and humiliated. Instead he chose to comfort him, soothe him, hoping that his words reached into his subconscious mind. It took so much longer than it had a few nights ago, but it worked.

Eren released a stuttering breath, whines tapering off, and he sighed in his sleep, his expression smoothing out into a blissful visage. Arms heavy-laden with slumber clumsily curled around the older man's smaller form, drawing him closer. Levi had tucked his face into the crook of Eren's neck and painted it with gentle presses of lips and sweet whispers. The relief that washed over him at being able to help was palpable. He'd still found himself with a night of fitful sleep, dozing in and out, unable to fully drift away with worry still present in his heart and mind.

All in all, Levi knew that there was something horribly wrong with Eren, but could do fuck all about it, because he had no goddamn clue what was causing it. He didn't want to be apart from the brat for even a moment, because worry was eating him alive. Unfortunately, last night, he'd been forced to stay at the studio until about 3 in the morning, and he didn't want to interrupt whatever sleep the lawyer was getting, so he'd gone home with Hange instead. He'd sent him a good night text before falling into bed.

But Eren hadn't responded this morning. And when Levi had awoken, drowsy from lack of sleep, he'd texted him a good morning. He'd still not received a reply by the time he had shit, shaved, and showered—in no particular order—forced a bagel and a mug of tea into his stomach, and was out the door on his way to work. At first, it didn't seem too out of the ordinary. Sure, the radio silence made Levi antsy, but he could respect that Eren was most likely busy, perhaps in a meeting with a client of sorts. He'd respond eventually. An hour had passed, and Levi typed out another message, sending it off, and waiting for a response. More hours flew by, work demanding the singer's attention, but any time he was able to slip out for a break, he made sure to text his brat. Hell, he even called twice. Still, he received no response, no  _'Sorry, Levi, I was busy,'_ , nothing.

Worry was clawing its way out of his throat, but he'd swallowed it back. He would just get through work, he'd told himself. Get through work, then head to Eren's house to wait for him to get home from his firm. It was fine. Everything was fine. Levi grit his teeth as he threatened the anxious voice in the back of his head to try and make it shut up, the voice that whispered in his ear,  _he's never left you waiting for this long. He always tells you if he's busy and apologizes, especially recently._  They'd brought their texting habit that they'd developed while Levi was away on tour back. So sudden radio silence for hours didn't make a lick of sense.

His emotions had started affecting his work. He couldn't focus; he'd forget the lyrics to a song he wrote, mix up the arrangements, or place his fingers on the frets too high or too long and strike a chord wrong. His voice sounded like a cat with its nuts stuck in a circular fan, even though his friends had all had the decency to keep their traps shut about it. He was off, and they could tell. They just didn't know why. But he didn't give a fuck about work. He physically  _couldn't._  He couldn't be bothered to give a single flying shit if they noticed. His worry had been cresting a steep hill when he'd lost his shit in the studio. He'd tried calling Eren three times during his last break, and each call went to voicemail. Dread settled like a rock in Levi's gut, weighing his stomach down to his toes. He felt sick; anxiety tightened around him like a boa constrictor, ringing the air out of his lungs. A litany of  _not normal_ , and countless gruesome thoughts echoed around in his head, round and round, chasing each other at such a breakneck speed that it made him dizzy.

Levi lit another cigarette to give his mouth and hands something to do, other than give into the urge to scream his throat raw and break something. It was 4:37 in the evening, not anywhere time for him to be freed from work, and his last fuck to give had flown the coop. He was done; he was not going back into that fucking recording booth for another second. They could try to force him, if they wanted, but he'd kill them all to get away. He would figure this out. If nothing was wrong (even though his whole body was thrumming with a foreboding sense of wrongness), Eren would still be at work.

Clicking out of his messages with Eren—ignoring the painful lurch at all of the unread texts he'd sent—Levi pulled up  _The Law Offices of Eren M. Jaeger'_ s website, copying the phone number. He dialed it and hit call without a second of hesitation, bringing the phone to his ear. He exhaled his smoke on a shaking breath, ignoring the trembling in his limbs. After four painfully long rings, the call clicked through.

" _Thank you for calling The Law Offices of Eren M. Jaeger; this is Historia, how may I be of assistance?"_  the cheery voice of the receptionist hit his ear. It grated on his nerves, but he clenched his jaw to play at politeness.

Not one to mince words, Levi put as much authority into his voice as he could muster. "My name is Levi Ackerman; I need to speak with Eren Jaeger."

" _I'm sorry, Mister Ackerman. Mister Jaeger isn't in today. Would you like me to take a message?"_  Historia, although apologetic in tone, still sounded too happy to deliver such a debilitating blow to Levi's psyche. He knew she wasn't gleeful to deny him of access to Eren, nor was she laughing at his pain that she knew nothing off.

Still, he couldn't help but to hiss venomously in uncalled for rage. "Piss off." He hung up, pulling his feet up onto the bench.

Levi hid his face in his knees, sucking in deep breaths. They were slightly off in pace, he could tell, could feel the panic creeping into his limbs. It slithered upwards, numbing his fingers and toes, chilling his blood with fear. He wracked his brain desperately. He couldn't leave the studio until he had a set course of action. Driving around aimlessly in hysteria would get him nowhere but a bodybag. He wouldn't be able to focus on the road, or on the other drivers, and while there was no snow, driving in that kind of state was a danger all its own. He sucked in a deep breath through his open mouth, his cigarette forgotten. There had to be something. He was so fucking desperate, he could've cried.

His head shot up off of his knees as an idea struck him.  _Armin,_  he thought wildly. His icicle fingers pulled up his contacts, and he thanked himself for saving his number under  _'Blond Coconut'_. He hit call, muttering to himself, begging for the phone to be picked up.

He was cut off by the telltale click, and he sucked in a rasping breath of relief.

" _Hello, Levi. Is there something I can help you with?"_  Armin asked, seeming calm and unconcerned.

"Where's Eren?" Levi demanded, his own voice sounding rough and broken to his own ears. He could hear the blond hesitating, most likely at his blunt question.

" _I couldn't tell you,"_ the young lawyer started, and the singer sucked in a hiss of a breath, ready to tear into the little fucking shitstain. Before he could, however, Armin rushed out his words.  _"None of us knows where he is. He always disappears on his birthday."_

The first thing that registered in his mind was that even Eren's best friend didn't know where he was. The second thing he grasped onto was how unconcerned he was about the entire ordeal. That realisation knocked the air out of him, sudden rage flaring and scorching his chest.

"How long has he been doing this?" the singer seethed, barely keeping his anger in check.

" _S-since high school!"_  Armin squeaked.  _"He doesn't tell anyone where he goes, he just disappears and comes back the next day! Ev-everything is always fine."_

"Thanks," Levi grudgingly spat out, hanging up before the fucking mushroom could stutter out another word.

Worry and barely bridled fury brewed within him, coalescing into a sickening, heavy weight that he couldn't rid himself off, even if he wanted to. How the fuck could anyone just up and let someone disa-fucking-ppear once a year without any fucking warning without losing their shit with fear? How could anyone claim to care about someone and go about their fucking day just fine with them MIA? He had half a mind to drive down to Eren's workplace just to beat the shit out of Armin, but deep down he knew his anger was misplaced. If this was something that the brunet did every year, his friends probably had gotten used to it. He'd always come back safely, as Armin said. But that didn't fucking matter.

March 30th: Eren's birthday. That was the missing link. Levi knew something was wrong, but he hadn't been able to figure out what when missing such a key piece. But now he was so fucking sure it made him want to vomit. Eren had been wigging out the closer his birthday came. Levi didn't know  _why_  it was causing such a negative and frankly, pants-shittingly terrifying, reaction in the brunet, but he would be fucking damned if he didn't figure out why.

With his mind made up, Levi felt a calm settle over him. His worry was as prevalent as ever, but the panic that was threatening to swallow him down into the abyss had ebbed away. He had a set purpose now.  _Find Eren;_  his blood seemed to pulse in time with the mental chant. He shot a text to Hange to inform her that he was leaving, and to piss off and leave him alone. He paused, huffed an annoyed breath, then made sure to quickly tap out that it was about Eren. Once done with that, he strode over to the elevator, hitting the call button. It was going to take forever to reach him, but there was no other way off of the roof. Well, unless he didn't mind being a human pancake. He rode it all the way down, his mind now focused and no longer swirling with an amalgamation of thoughts.

 _Don't worry, Eren,_  he promised.  _I'm on my way, baby. I'll be there soon._

* * *

It was cold, so unbearably cold. The sky had fallen dark, stars and moon hidden behind a cast of clouds, backlit in an eerie manner as moonlight fought valiantly to broach past. With night came the evening chill, freezing dew into frost on viridian blades of grass. It was cold enough to warrant a heavy jacket, and perhaps some gloves, the kind of cold that sense dictated one should not be out in nothing but a thin tee shirt and a pair of boxers. Eren, however, was far beyond sense. Numbness spread up through his limbs from his fingers and his toes; his teeth chattered and clacked as his body shivered violently. Cold bit at his skin, a burning sensation breaking out over exposed flesh. It should have been alarming, should have made the brunet rise from his huddling crouch on his back porch to head into his house. Instead, a desperation so powerful it stole away his survival instinct washed over him. It weighed heavier the more that time passed, screaming for the numbness of his limbs to spread to his heart. It held him in place, gravity digging its claws into his shoulders, slowly dragging him down.

Eren wanted so deeply to not feel anything at all. His heart was thundering powerfully against his sternum, wild with overwhelming shards of emotion piercing into it. The cold would numb him, numb the agony in his chest, his irrationality assured him. He just had to sit there longer. He didn't want to fucking think. He didn't want to remember, but he would never forget. It always came back, punishing and unforgiving, smashing him into smaller pieces every year. He was afraid that there wouldn't be anything left if this unhealthy pattern continued, but maybe peace would come when there was nothing left of him to give. He couldn't forget, didn't want to forget. Who else would remember, if not him? He didn't want the misery and grief to drown him, but he had to remember. He had to let himself sink, deep into the abyss, where light couldn't touch him, where darkness swallowed him greedily.

It never got any better, it only ever got worse. He didn't want to remember, but he didn't want to forget. It was the fogginess of his memory that shot panic through him. He was forgetting, losing details, every year. Age was a menace, fading his memories with time, taking precious little pieces from him year after year. Guilt settled heavy in his gut, pulling his heart down with it, and tears burned at his eyes. He wouldn't cry, didn't deserve to. He had to remember. March 30th was the day for embracing the pain and anguish, of wallowing in heartache until he was so overwhelmed he couldn't breathe. His birthday was not a day for celebration, but to be spent in quiet mourning. Alone, always alone.

Eren was alone, in his fragile bubble on his back porch, cold chapping his skin; darkness coiled around him, sucking him down, down, down, into a pit of memories drenched in such excruciating emotions that he could no longer avoid. They stabbed into his flesh with their chilled barbs, snaking around his form in a snare. The carefully sealed box in his mind was trembling, chains shattering, tape ripping, wood splintering. He couldn't, wouldn't keep them locked away anymore.

He was alone when the first tear breached the barrier of his will, stinging a wet trail down his frostbitten cheek, the only sound to break the silence his hiccuping gasp.

* * *

The sight of the silver Jaguar sitting innocently in Eren's driveway sent a modicum of relief washing through Levi's veins. His hands loosened fractionally on his steering wheel, knuckles still bone white from the pressure of his grip. The solace he experienced was nothing compared to the worry still consuming his soul, chipping away at his rationality as each minute dragged by. This meant nothing; Eren could be anywhere. Just because his car was parked at his home didn't mean that the brunet was inside. He could have taken a cab, or been picked up, or kidnapped—

Levi stopped the thought in its track, his teeth grinding hard enough to send sharp needles of pain into his jaw. He had to remain rational, had to be cool and level-headed. Unfortunately, when it came to Eren, he was never able to keep his composure. The brunet got under his skin, changed him from the inside out. He made him care, deeply so, and now that he did, he couldn't stop. For fuck's sake, he could be being utterly ridiculous right now. Eren could be celebrating his birthday with his family. He could want the day off and to himself, with no interruptions. Levi could be overreacting.

Only, his mind didn't believe that at all, because his gut was screaming at him that something was terribly wrong, and he needed to find Eren, right now, right  _fucking now._  Just because no one else gave enough of a shit to try and find him every year didn't mean that Levi didn't give a shit. Levi would care more than enough for everyone else, fuck them all. His urgency made his tires screech as he turned sharply into the drive, pulling up behind the Jaguar. He parked crookedly, hand fumbling to remove his keys as the other one threw open his car door. Levi spilled out onto the pavement, palms scraping against frigid concrete. With a hiss, he pushed himself back to his feet and slammed the door.

It was too quiet outside, and when heather eyes focused on the house in front of him, his heart sank deeply into his stomach. All the lights were out, and there was no movement behind the curtains. Panicked fear nearly blinded Levi, but he forced it back. Eren could be asleep, he tried to reassure himself. Stepping forward, he pressed a hand to the hood of the silver sportscar; it was ice cold. The singer figured that meant that Eren hadn't driven it recently, but he couldn't determine if it had been driven at all today or not.

Jogging up to the front door as chilled air bit at his lungs and fog huffed past his lips, Levi gripped his keys tightly in hand, thumbing over the spare that Eren had given him. He'd never been more thankful that the lawyer had trusted him with it. He shoved the key into the lock, twisting it roughly, and shoved the door open. Another dose of relief hit his tongue like cold water; if the door was locked, that means that no one had forced their way in.

"Eren?" Levi called out, his voice a hoarse rasp. Clearing his throat, he tried again. "Eren?" Better; it came out louder, clearer, but there was no response.

The short man let the front door fall heavily shut, his eyes trying to adjust to the darkness of the house. He shivered, rubbing over his clothed arms, and forced himself deeper into the house. The living room looked just as it always did, however, a menacing air seemed to settle over it. There was no life in the room; the fireplace was dark, the couch pristine and looking like it hadn't been sat on for a while. The TV was off, and everything was sat in a particular place. Foreboding swept over Levi, and he tried to swallow back his dread. The living room was just as he'd left it two days ago. Eren wasn't a dirty man, but he didn't have the same sense of 'everything has a place, and everything has to be in that exact place', as Levi did. If something was off, it would send the singer crawling up the walls. He'd organized the living room and kitchen before he'd left for work. Eren had given his thanks in the form of a chaste, warm kiss.

Turning away from the sight, Levi swallowed around the thick lump in his throat, ignoring the burning behind his eyes and salty taste on his tongue. He trod carefully down the hall, stopping outside of Isabel's room. Debating for only a moment, Levi pushed the door open, sweeping his gaze over the room. No one had inhabited it in a while. He could see the motes of dust floating through the air as the streetlight shined in through the slats in the blinds. Wandering in deeper, he checked the closet, and under the bed. He had to be thorough, even if it didn't make sense. Eren could be anywhere, and he'd hate to miss him simply because he hadn't bothered to look there.

He left Isabel's room, shivering as he stepped back out into the hall. It was rather cold in the house, which struck Levi as odd, because Eren typically kept it at a more tepid temperature. The thought forgotten just as fast as it had come, the singer pulled Izzy's door shut, moving further down to check the guest bathroom. Curtains pulled back from the shower, linen closet searched, cabinets empty. The longer he went without finding Eren, the more frantic his heart grew. He was desperate to find him; the shaking in his limbs almost sent him sprawling down the hall when he rushed towards the taller man's bedroom. His worry was mounting higher, still, past the point of his natural capacity for it, and he brought a hand up to tug at his wavy locks, a noise of distress pealing from his throat.

"Eren?!" he shouted, his breath coming in rapid bursts. He nearly ripped the door off of its hinges in his haste to open it, and he stumbled forward into the bedroom.

His silver eyes scanned wildly, taking in every detail that he could force his brain into observing. The bed was unmade, sheets strewn and bunched up; the fitted sheet had been ripped away from one of the corners of the mattress, and the majority of the comforter was hanging limply onto the floor. The state of the bed spoke to Levi of restlessness, of nightmares and no one to soothe them away. A pang clenched at his heart, and guilt built to a crescendo, furrowing his brow in despair. He should have been here. He should have come no matter what. He should have told work to fuck off and come home to Eren. He should have  _been here_ , to comfort and coddle and coo, to ease the nightmare away with the safety of his arms. Levi should have been here, and he hadn't.

Tearing his glossy glare away from the bed, Levi pushed himself into the room. He sucked in a breath, the stale scent of Eren's musky aroma telling of his absence. He dropped down, sweeping his gaze beneath the bed. Another wave of anguish slammed into his chest, and he gasped raggedly. Pulling himself up using the edge of the bed, the nightstand drew his attention. Eren's car keys, wallet, and cellphone sat innocently on the wood. Levi startled at the sound of a low, pitiful moan of desolation, realising in shock that the sound had come from his own lips. His fingers woodenly picked up the phone, pressing the home button. Nothing happened; the screen remained black, and he numbly concluded that it was dead. He set it back down carefully, mind empty and overwhelmed with thought all at once.

His legs carried him into the ensuite bath without him giving the command, and he stared at the empty room bleakly. Eren wasn't here. He leaned heavily into the doorjamb, eyes closed tightly as he worked to even out his breathing. Hope was not, could not, be lost yet. He still needed to find Eren. He  _had_  to. With an energy Levi didn't feel, he spun away and stormed out of the bedroom, marching down the hall. He came to its mouth, pausing to once again observe the too-perfect state of the living room with a pained groan.

Levi curled his arms around himself, shivering. For a moment, he thought it was from the hopelessness slowly oozing into his limbs, but he remembered that it was cold in here. It was  _really_  cold, actually. The living room had more of a chill than the hallway, but it almost felt like it did outside. Rubbing his arms halfheartedly, Levi shook his head clear of the thought and forged on towards the kitchen.

And stopped in his tracks. His eyes widened, and his jaw dropped, unable to process what he was seeing for several long seconds. The back door was ajar, cracked enough that it didn't draw attention to it unless you were close enough to it, but opened enough to send the cold night air infiltrating the house.

"Eren?" Levi whispered, taking hesitant steps forward. He grabbed onto the handle, swallowing hard as he gave it a small tug.

Levi stepped out onto the porch, his eyes squinting to scan the yard, looking for anything that could resemble the brunet. The clouded night sky didn't help his cause, but there was no way that Eren would be out in his backyard. He began to turn back to go inside and resume his search, but the sound of chattering hitting his ears made him freeze. Levi whipped around, eyes wild in their sockets as he glanced all around.

"Eren," he tried again, forcing his voice to project. "Are you there, baby?"

A wheezing cough answered, and Levi's gaze followed the sound down to the source. Eren was huddled down in the corner of his porch, arms curled uselessly around bare legs. The lawyer had barely turned his stiff neck at the sound of his name, eyes struggling to lift.

"Shit, Eren," Levi rasped. "Fuck."

Panic, utter panic came down on him in violent waves, spurring him into action. He dropped to his knees next to Eren, hands fluttering around him while he murmured comforting, incoherent sentiments. His fingers recoiled when coming into contact with the brunet's skin, and he winced. He was so cold, so fucking cold to the touch. Levi was on high alarm now, acutely aware of the fact that he needed to get Eren inside and warmed up right fucking now. There wasn't a second to spare.

"Okay, baby, we're going inside. Do you understand?" Eren barely nodded, the movement stiff, and his eyes seemed unfocused. His teeth were chattering so violently that Levi feared he might bite his tongue off if he tried to speak. "Come here, I've got you," Levi soothed as he eased an arm around the brunet's lower back, the other hooking under his knees. "Now put your arms around my neck, baby. Can you do that for me?"

Achingly slowly, Eren clumsily curled his arms around Levi's neck, his head dropping weakly onto his shoulder. Satisfied with his grip, the singer rose to his feet, lifting the brunet easily with a soft exhale. He turned and carried him into the house, shutting the door by leaning his back against it. He moved into the living room as fast as he could, settling Eren onto the couch. His fingers ripped at the throw blankets, draping them over the taller man's violently shivering form.

"Listen,  _mon étoile,_  I'll be right back. We need to get you warm, baby." Levi rubbed carefully at Eren's arms, swearing under his breath. "Stay right here for me, okay?"

With Eren's nod of understanding, Levi was rushing off down the hall. He tore open the linen closet, yanking down blankets and pillows until his arms were full of them. He brought them into the living room and dropped them onto the floor, then returned to the closet to snag the electric blanket. Plugging it into the wall, he turned it on, carefully wrapping it around his counterpart. Satisfied that he was getting some warmth, Levi moved to the fireplace and began to set up a fire. He stacked the logs, caught the newspaper beneath them on fire, and blew gently until the flame began licking at the logs. The crackling sound reassured him, and he moved the grate back in front of the opening. Soon roaring warmth was blasting his skin, and he turned his attention onto making a nest a few feet away from it.

Levi set down the last pillow, his eyes flickering over to Eren. The brunet's shivering had toned down, but his skin was still flushed bright red and chapped. The chattering of his teeth had calmed down some as well, but when his heather eyes met those of honey and sea, the brunet flung the blankets from his shoulders and launched himself forward. The movement was clumsy; the feeling in his legs hadn't completely returned yet, and his feet felt like they were trapped in lead. But Levi caught him easily, laying him down into the nest of blankets. He laid down with his counterpart, tugging blankets over them before curling his body around Eren's.

The two men lay there, one leeching warmth, the other monitoring his vitals. They laid there until Eren's shivering stopped, and his teeth ceased chattering. His pulse had returned to normal, and though his skin was chapped, it was nothing extra care wouldn't take care of. Levi stroked a hand through russet locks, lips resting against the base of his neck. Relief at having found Eren was palpable, and so overwhelming it made him want to weep, but his worry still outweighed it.

Eren's fingers sought out Levi's, linking their hands together. He snuggled back, disparate gaze focused on the flickering flames. He watched the logs burn absently, and even though he had the singer there with him, his mind was still drenched in the past. He was lost in it, the comfort gained from the singer only able to soothe so much. His heart bled misery, tainting his pulse with every beat. He was drifting and lost, unable to paddle himself to shore.

Another beat of silence passes, and Levi nuzzles his nose along the nape of Eren's neck, breathing in deeply, cherishing his musky scent. A soft exhale leaves his lips. "What's wrong, baby?"

He doesn't push. He prompts only once, acutely aware of the fact that Eren will only talk if he wants to. All Levi wants to do is make it known that he's there, that he's not going anywhere, and if the brunet wants help, all he has to do is reach out. Eren stays silent for such a long time that Levi is certain that he doesn't want to talk about it, and that's okay. He cards gentle fingers through soft tresses, calloused tips rubbing along his scalp.

Eren's eyes glaze over, going dull in the warm light from the fire. No one knows. He's held onto this for so long, kept it locked so deeply inside that no one even knew it was there. No one's ever cared enough to prod. His parents preferred it that way, preferred for him to forget and let it go. Like he could. No one would understand it, even if he spoke it aloud. Hell, they might not even believe him, if they knew his parents by their public image. He had to keep it to himself, let it eat him alive, to keep it and himself safe. But did he really have to? He was so fucking tired, so fucking sick of being alone for this. His birthday was a miserable event that he spent alone. Why the fuck did he have to? Why wasn't he allowed to heal?  _Because you'll forget,_  his mind whispered, and fear made his heart stutter.

He wanted to tell Levi. He wanted him to understand, to know. He wanted to let all of his walls and barriers collapse at his feet, wanted nothing standing between them. He wanted to be vulnerable in a way he'd never been before. Once again, he was struck with the fact that Levi was one of a kind. Always offering open hands, never pushing, but there all the same. He just had to take his hands, and let himself jump out over the edge. He wanted Levi to know him.

So he sucked in a shaking breath, and took the plunge. "I had a brother," Eren whispered, shrinking in on himself. The words were soft, but they drew Levi in, and he tightened his hold around Eren. He listened attentively as Eren took several deep inhalations of air, waiting patiently for him to continue. The soft squeeze that the shorter man gave to his hand gave him the courage to do so. "He was 10 years older than me, and his name was Zeke." Saying his name out loud hurt in a way that wasn't all bad. He hadn't said it for over 17 years. "He meant the world to me. My parents never paid attention to me back then; they didn't care. They had their perfect son that they had so many plans for. But Zeke always made time for me. He made me feel loved and cared for in a way that my parents didn't."

Eren paused, getting lost in his memories as Levi gently nuzzled the crook of his neck. Zeke, teaching him how to play catch; bandaging his scrapes and cuts when he'd been playing too roughly; helping him with his homework. When 5 year old Eren had had a nightmare, and was too scared to bother his parents, Zeke had let him crawl into his bed. Zeke promising that no matter what time of night it was or what it was for, Eren could always come to him. Zeke promising to protect him. Tears flooded Eren's eyes as his breath hitched in his throat. His older brother, with a vibrant viridian eye and another speckled with huge flecks of gold that almost consumed all of the green. ' _Your eyes make you special, Eren, you shouldn't let those idiots get you down. They're just jealous 'cuz they're cool.'_   _'I think your eyes are cooler._ ' His laughing reply that they had the same eyes. His brother that made everything better, that comforted him when his parents wouldn't, who taught him how to ride his bike, and how to tie his shoes. Grief sat heavy in his heart as the memories flashed, and he bit into his bottom lip hard enough to draw blood in his efforts to stifle a sob.

Trying to compose himself, the brunet sniffled, burrowing back deeper into Levi for comfort and strength to keep going. "Even though we were so far apart in age, we were inseparable. I followed him around everywhere. I looked up to him. He was my hero." Levi's thumb caressed Eren's cheek gently, catching a tear and whisking it away. "When he was 16, he realised he liked boys more than girls. He had a secret boyfriend that he'd bring around when our parents weren't home. He always asked me to keep it a secret, and of course, of course I promised. Mom was pregnant with Izzy at the time. I remember her coming home early." Eren's voice sounded hollow and haunted. He was openly weeping now, eyes unfocused on what was in front of him as his mind's eye played back the memory.

Carla had come home, claiming that morning sickness had taken her away from her rehearsal. Her words had been said airily, but didn't match the look in her eyes. She looked like she knew something; there was a rigidness to her posture and a hard set to her jaw. She'd gone straight upstairs, and 6 year old Eren had followed, wanting to warn Zeke. He didn't get the change. Carla burst into Zeke's room, catching him in a liplock with his boyfriend.

"Mom caught them kissing," Eren forced out, barely audible. "She completely lost it. She threatened to call the cops on the poor kid and forced him to leave. And then Zeke had her full attention. She treated him like shit, yelled at him until she was red in the face, and called our dad."

He could remember bits and pieces of what she'd said.  _'You're a disgrace to the Jaeger name! We had such high hopes for you, and this is what you do to us! How am I supposed to tell Grisha we raised a faggot?!'_ Eren had run in and tugged at her skirt, begging her to leave his brother alone. She'd shoved him violently out of the room and slammed the door in his face.  _'Did you touch Eren? I bet you're a pedophile, just like all the rest of the faggots. Oh, Lord, please strike down this sinful child.'_

Turning away from the fire, Eren buried his face in Levi's chest, closing his eyes so tightly that spots danced behind his lids. "Zeke begged for forgiveness, he apologized, he pleaded. They ignored it all, treated him like he was nothing. Dad beat him when he got home. Broke his glasses and his nose. Then they ignored him, like he didn't exist at all," his tone was bitter, and his nails bit into the singer's back. A humorless laugh left his lips. "They wouldn't let me near him, accused him of molesting me because that's 'all that faggots know how to do'. Mom tried to convince me that he was filthy and would dirty my soul.

"They couldn't disown him, or kick him out, because they were in the public eye. Not so famous that they were making headlines, yet, but getting close. So they pretended he wasn't there." He remembered the agony on Zeke's face, the way his eyes were losing their light as each day passed. The utter exhaustion and helplessness wearing him down as the months bled by. The desperation for forgiveness. "One day he begged for them to forgive him, promised that he would do whatever they wanted to atone. So they—" Eren cut himself off, his breath catching as his heart clenched in despair. "They told him to willingly submit to a conversion therapy center…" he trailed off, voice barely above a whisper. He could still remember that day. Zeke standing next to the door with his bags packed, ready for Grisha to take him to a clinic. Eren was inconsolable, clinging onto his brother's leg with all his might.

" _Please don't go, Zeke, don't go," Eren wailed, fat tears cascading down his cheeks. His little hands fisted tightly into Zeke's khakis._

_Zeke leaned down to ruffle Eren's hair, a sad smile curling his lips. "I'll be back before you know it, Ren. Be good for the nanny."_

" _No! Don't leave me." He'd only gripped tighter, hugging his older brother's leg with no intentions of letting go. "I'll miss you," he sobbed brokenly, his face scrunched up in pain. Eren screamed when his mother wrenched him away from Zeke, her eyes glaring distrustfully at her older son._

_Carla sneered. "Time to go. Your father's waiting outside." Her voice was cold, lacking any form of motherly warmth. Her fingers were digging painfully into Eren's shoulder to keep him at her side, her other hand resting on her stomach._

_The 16 year old looked down at his younger brother, tears glistening in his eyes but not falling. "I love you, bud." His voice was choked with grief, but he forced a smile on his face. "See you."_

_Eren shrieked in anguish as his brother picked up his bags and walked out of the front door._

Soft murmuring brought Eren back to the present, and he was distantly aware that the mourning cries filling his ears were his own. His eyes stung, his throat was clogged with a huge lump, and swallowing around it ached. He sniffled and sobbed, clinging so tightly to Levi that his knuckles turned white. Levi's lips brushed against his forehead, and his calloused hands were more of a comfort than he would ever know. They ran over his back and shoulders, through his hair and down his arm. It took several long moments for Eren to calm down enough to speak, but when he did, his voice was muted and heavy.

"He was gone for  _months_. I waited every day, staring out my window, hoping that it would be the day he came back. He was gone for so long that I feared he wasn't coming back. But he did," the brunet mumbled into Levi's chest. He forced his eyes to stay open, desperately wanting to remain in the present. Falling into his memories was like landing in a hole filled with needles and glass; it dug into him, tore his flesh and seared his skin with pain that never went away. The wounds were gaping, flowing freely, and years of ignoring them and dealing with them alone had stretched them wide, nearly beyond repair. "He came back, and he wasn't the same. His eyes were dead."

Levi's heart breaks for Eren and his brother, dread sitting heavily like a stone in his gut. His hatred for Eren's parents has only grown, and he knows that he can never be allowed to be in the same room with them. Living in the same city is already making him want to hunt them down. They had no fucking right to do what they did. He knew it was far from over, however, and he wasn't sure how much more he could handle. But he would take it all in, for Eren, so he didn't have to bear it alone.

He held Eren tighter to him, curling around him protectively. The brunet was so thankful to have this compassionate man in his life, here with him. "Mom and dad lied. They didn't forgive him. They went right back to ignoring him. He endured it for a month until he broke down. He asked why they wouldn't forgive him, he'd done exactly what they told him to."

His memories sucked him back in, thrown into sharp relief and coming to him clearer than they had in years.

_Eren was hiding in the pantry. He had the door cracked, and he could see his heavily pregnant mother's aggressive stance in the kitchen. His father stood beside her, arms crossed and head cocked to the side like he was observing a cockroach. They were facing his hiding spot, so Eren could easily see the disdain on Grisha's face and the repulsion on Carla's. There eyes held no love, only disgust and hatred. Zeke was kneeling on the floor, his back to the pantry, and he was bent forward. His shoulders possessed the look of a broken man._

" _Mom, dad, please. If I have to repent more, I will," Zeke promised desperately, lifting his head slightly. "Please, I just want you to see me as your son again."_

_Carla snarled, lips pulled back to bare her teeth. "Forgive an abomination? Ha, what a sick joke! God would never forgive a monster like you. You brought this corruption into our house, made fools of our family name! You could have tainted Eren!" She pressed a hand to her stomach, stroking over the bump as if to soothe._

" _Your sins are far too grave to be washed away," Grisha intoned, his brow raising, lips pulling back into a sneer. "I would not be a Godly man if I forgave you. You're not my son," he growls harshly, spitting on Zeke, before striding confidently out of the kitchen._

" _Mom—" Zeke starts, but she picks up the nearest thing to her and throws it at him. The frying pan smashes into his head with a sickening crack, and Eren's stomach drops, roiling with nausea._

" _Don't call me that!" She runs her hands through her loose hair, drawing in quick breaths. "I wish you'd never been born. You're a cursed child. You've brought sickness into this house. I will not have you around my children. You've ruined me. Your father must think me a lesser woman for bringing_ you _into this world." Gripping onto the counter for balance, Carla swung her leg forward, and it connected sharply with Zeke's ribs. "The day you turn 18 is the day you leave. Until then, get used to repentance in the form of silence. And stay away from Eren."_

_Eren shrunk back in his hiding spot as Carla stormed by, muttering to herself that she couldn't bring a baby into this house with that faggot around. He waited, holding his breath, and watched as Zeke just sat there. He didn't move, and soon the house fell silent. They had to have been gone, so Eren quietly crept from the pantry. He crawled forward on the tile, towards his brother's back, and when he reached him, he gently touched his shoulder. Zeke flinched, and he drew his fingers back, afraid he'd hurt him._

" _Zee," Eren whispered, glancing over his shoulder to make sure they were still alone. The last thing he wanted was for his brother to be beaten because Eren wouldn't stay away. "Are you okay?"_

_Zeke slowly turned to face him. Blood was dripping from his hairline, staining his blond hair red, and a streak ran down the lens of his glasses. His eyes were dimmed, lacking life and light, and that scared Eren more than his parents did. He grabbed onto his brother's hand, his eyes welling with tears. Zeke reached out and curled an arm around him, drawing him into a hug._

" _Hey, it's okay Ren, I'm okay," he promised, his voice hoarse._

_Eren knew it wasn't okay, but he pretended that he believed it would be. He pretended that Carla and Grisha would change their minds, that Zeke would be treated the way he deserved to be. That their family would be okay. He didn't want his parents' attention if it meant they hated his brother. He used to desire their attention and would be so jealous of the teenager. But Zeke always made up for it, and soon he forgot to be jealous. He didn't need their love and attention if he had his brother. But now they were trying to take him away. He clung onto Zeke with all of his strength, face wrinkling up as he tried to prevent his tears from falling._

" _Remember that no matter what, I love you," Zeke whispered, hold tightening. "I love you so much, you're the best little brother anyone could ask for. Don't forget. Don't ever forget."_

" _I won't," Eren promised, his voice cracking on a stifled sob. He didn't like it, didn't like the way Zeke said these things. It distressed him, made him think he was going away sooner than he wanted him to. "I love you, Zee. I promise it's gonna be okay."_

_It wasn't okay. It was never going to be okay. It would never be okay ever again._

_A loud noise woke him from his nap a few days later. It sounded like someone had let off a firework, but the sun was shining outside. No one would have been able to see it. Maybe it was a firecracker. But it was too loud. Eren was afraid. He didn't like the sound. He chewed on his lip, remembering the promise Zeke had made him. He was scared; Zeke would protect him. He had to be careful, but he was pretty sure his parents weren't home. Sneaking from his bed, Eren tiptoed down the hall, pausing outside of his brother's door. He looked around, making sure he wasn't about to be caught. The last time he'd tried to sneak into Zeke's room, Grisha had caught him and beaten him within an inch of his life. His belt had left welts along his ass, to the point that he'd been unable to sit comfortably for a week._

_Eren decided he didn't care if he got punished, he just didn't want his brother to get in trouble. He'd just tell his parents that he chose to go to Zeke. He'd take his punishment. He was still scared, he needed his brother. He twisted the knob and pushed the door open._

_He wished he hadn't. He wished he could take it back. He wished he hadn't taken a nap, had never left his brother alone. He wailed, the sound echoing around the empty halls of the big house; a mournful despaired cry that ripped from his throat with no end in sight. Zeke lay on the floor of his bedroom, blood seeping from a gaping hole in his head. His eyes were deadened, staring off into space with an expression twisted into grim resignation. The blood was staining the white carpet, spreading out around his fallen form. A gun lay beside him, partially resting in his hand. Eren screamed again, more animalistic than human, and he launched himself forward. He flung himself to his knees, fingers digging harshly into Zeke's shoulders._

" _Wake up!" He pleaded, smacking a fist into his chest. "Wake up! No! Please," he moaned, dropping his head down onto Zeke's chest. He sobbed, snot running from his nose and tears blinding his vision. "Don't leave me!"_

_Eren lay there and cried, until Zeke's body went cold. He gripped onto him, begged, pleaded, prayed, for him to wake up. His parents found him whimpering, curled up, coated in dried blood, holding onto his brother as if he was going to drown. When Grisha pulled him away, he fought as best as he could, kicking and screaming. He bit his father, earning a harsh smack. It stung his cheek, shocking him into silence. His father led him out of the room, and all he felt was grief and a numbness settling into his bones._

Relaying all of this to Levi, Eren sobbed through the story, pushing his words out on a stuttering tongue. Pale arms tightened around him, brought him closer, and all the brunet could do was cry, mourning for his lost brother. His whole body ached with loss, but it was almost bittersweet. He'd never been able to talk about Zeke with anyone, not to this extent. Armin vaguely remembered that Eren had a brother who committed suicide, but he didn't know why. He knew none of the details, and it had to be kept that way. Armin didn't need that heavy weight on his shoulders. He barely remembered Zeke.

"After Isabel was born, they turned their focus on me. They didn't want to fail again," he said bitterly, his brows furrowing with enraged grief. "They wanted the perfect son. What they put my brother through, I… I couldn't go through that too. I was scared, because he was gone, and he couldn't protect me anymore. So, I did everything I could to be perfect." Sniffling, Eren snuggled closer, resting his head on Levi's shoulder. "My mother is worse than my father. She was crueler to him than he was. He beat him with his fists, but she tore him down with words. It was her idea to ignore him. My mother, psychological fucking terrorist," he bit out, giving a humorless laugh. "She made sure to burn all of the pictures of him, got rid of all of his stuff. She made my dad put a gag on the media, and then we moved to a different church, where no one knew that Zeke Jaeger had ever existed.

"They forbade me from talking about him. Isabel doesn't even know she had another brother. They erased his existence. Zeke's like a phantom that never was there. But I promised him, I promised I'd never forget." Eren sucked in a deep breath, blowing it out slowly. "I don't even have anything of his to remember him by. I'm forgetting what he looks like little by little," he whispered, his voice cracking and breaking in distress. "They took my brother from me."

"I'm so fucking sorry, Eren," Levi murmured, holding him close. Anger and sorrow swirled in his heart, pain and sympathy for the man in his arms overwhelming. How anyone could do that to their children, he didn't understand. He was sickened at the thought. "You always have him with you, here." His fingers ran over Eren's chest, settling over his heart. The warmth from his hand was soothing. "They can't take him away from your heart."

"Yeah," the brunet whimpered, the smallest, saddest smile pulling at his lips. "I miss him."

"Of course you do," the singer hummed, pressing a light kiss to his forehead. "I know he misses you too."

They lay there in silence, Levi trying to absorb everything he'd just heard. It all made so much sense. The final puzzle piece clicked into place. Eren's fear and obedience to his parents, his drive to bend over backwards and work until he passed out. The anxiety and panic that consumed him when they exerted their control over him or came into his safe spaces. Hell, he could even figure out the reason why he still obeyed them, even though he wasn't under their roof anymore. Eren hadn't been able to protect Zeke, couldn't save him from their parents, but he could protect Isabel. He could save her from his fate, and the fate of their late brother. If he kept all of their attention on him, she would be able to skate by into freedom. He had so much weight on his shoulders; he took on the whole world. Levi's heart ached for him, and he only pulled him closer, wanting to bury himself in his skin and never let him go again. Nobody had protected Eren for a long time. It was his turn to be taken care of. Levi was more than willing to fill those shoes. He would protect Eren with everything he had.

The brunet's emotions finally seemed to be settling. His tears had dried up, leaving his eyes irritated, puffy, and dry. His sinuses were clogged, and his head swam and throbbed from a headache. His heart felt… lighter. Lighter than it had in years. He felt like he'd finally be able to honor Zeke's memories. Eren couldn't visit him anywhere; he didn't have a grave, because his parents had cremated him and thrown out his ashes, but he had Levi to confide in. He'd gone over the most painful, horrendous part of his life. Now he'd be able to share the happier memories. He could grieve properly. He'd never forget, but he could celebrate the life that Zeke had rather than dwell in his suffering and helplessness. His brother meant the world to him, and it was a relief to be able to talk about him again. Maybe… maybe he could start thinking that it was okay for him to keep living. Maybe it was okay that he'd reached 24.

Every year his birthday had brought the most intense grief and guilt. He'd felt like he didn't deserve to live. He felt the unfairness of Zeke's life ending so early. He'd started disappearing when he was 17, when he'd realised he'd outlived his older brother. He'd spent his birthday alone, refusing to celebrate. Zeke didn't get to celebrate any more birthdays, so why should he? He'd hated his birthday. His wish would never be granted. He'd never get his brother back. He was gone, and all he had were memories.

So he'd cherish what he had, those six years of life that he'd had the best older brother in the world. They were few, but they were precious. The brother that had loved and doted on him the way a parent should have while they were absent in his early years. He would remember. He wouldn't forget. And now he had someone to share his memories with, who would help him to remember. Zeke Jaeger had been taken far too soon, but he lived on in Eren's heart. Levi had only reminded him of that.

"Thank you," he whispered, tilting his head up to brush a tender kiss against Levi's lips. His heart was full of unknown emotions, swirling with warmth. "Thank you."

* * *

Levi sat on Eren's back porch, socked feet resting on a step. He brought his cigarette up to his mouth and took a deep drag. Smoke billowed from his parted lips as he stared out at the dark yard. Tugging his jacket tighter around him, he shivered in the 3am chill as his thoughts whirled around in his head. Eren had trusted him with something extremely important. He could barely wrap his mind around it. The turmoil and anxiety the brunet must have felt every day of his life weighed heavily on Levi, and he scowled at the frost-coated blades of grass. Eren was such a strong man, going through life with the weight of the world on his shoulders. He fought tooth and nail to keep living on in the only way he'd known how to, suffering in silence with the pain and sorrow of his past. The singer was relieved that Eren trusted him enough to let him in, but it didn't stop his heart from aching for him.

Inhaling more smoke, Levi curled his legs up, crossing them beneath his calves and balanced his elbow on his knee. He leaned his chin into his palm, contemplation clear on his face. He'd meant it when he decided he'd be the one to protect Eren. He'd be his rock, give him someone to lean on when he felt like breaking. Eren deserved so much, and had received so little. Life was completely unfair to put him through everything he'd had to endure. Levi grieved for a teen he'd never gotten to meet, and never would. He had no doubts that he would have been a wonderful adult. It was saddening to know that he'd never get to experience that. Sorrow was heavy on his heart. Snuffing out his cigarette, Levi flicked the butt out into the yard, his gaze rising to regard the sky. The clouds had mostly floated away, exposing twinkling stars.

"I'll take care of your brother, kid," he murmured, feeling a little silly to be voicing his thoughts to the stars. Still, he felt the need to promise Zeke that Eren would be well cared for. "He's in good hands."

It was horrible that he'd been so desolate and unable to carry on. The unfairness of it all ate at him. Levi loathed Carla and Grisha for destroying a child that they'd brought into the world. He would never consider them parents. Parents loved their children unconditionally, cared for them, and cherished every part of them. They didn't drive their children to suicide simply because they were different. He felt sick all over again, and thankful to have his own mother. More than ever, he wanted Kuchel to meet Eren. She'd love him the way his parents weren't capable of and never had. She'd treat him like her own, just as she did with Hange. She had enough love to go around to all of the mistreated children.

That was a thought for the future, however. The sound of the back door swinging open drew his gaze. Eren stood in the doorway, eyes bleary and hair in disarray. He still wore his boxers, but his shirt had been shed in sleep. The brunet regarded Levi with his heterochromatic gaze, and he stifled a yawn with his fist. Levi stood up, padding over the concrete until he came face to face with his counterpart. Eren reached out, taking his hand carefully and giving a small tug. The singer allowed himself to be pulled back into the house, and he shut and locked the door before being led into the living room.

"Let's go back to bed, babe," Eren mumbled gruffly, his voice heavy with sleep. "'M tired."

Levi circled his arms around Eren's waist, pressing a soft kiss to the back of his neck. "You should've stayed bundled up, baby. I'm still worried about you. You're probably gonna have a cold."

"I woke up cuz you weren't there," the brunet grumbled, shooting an accusing look at his counterpart.

"I needed a cigarette," the shorter man responded. He left out the fact he hadn't been able to sleep with his mind replaying everything Eren had shared with him.

Eren moved to the mussed up nest, dropping down into it with a sigh. He huffed, turning expectant eyes onto Levi. "Was that more important than cuddling with me?" His brow was raised as he asked the question, sounding ever the petulant brat that he was.

"Of course not, baby," Levi cooed, slipping in beside the taller man after discarding his jacket on the couch, who immediately rolled over and spooned him. "I'm sorry I woke you."

Arms locked tight around Levi, he dragged him back into his chest and nuzzled into his nape, nose wrinkling slightly at the tickle of his undercut. "You better be," he hummed, his eyes falling shut. "I can't sleep without you." Eren said this so softly that Levi almost thought he'd imagined it.

"You won't have to, then," he promised, turning in Eren's arms to lock his own around his neck. "Now go back to sleep, I'm right here. I'm not going anywhere."

The brunet made a pleased sound in the back of his throat, cuddling close. Levi pressed gentle kisses all along his forehead and brow, leaning into his touch. If he needed to spend every night in Eren's bed, he would. In fact, he wanted to. He hardly wanted to return to his own apartment. The only reason he ever did was because he didn't want to leave Hange alone. They'd work something out, later. Right now, his lids weighed heavily, sliding closed and letting darkness consume his vision. He sighed in contentment when Eren pressed his face into his neck and tightened his grip. He didn't want to lose this. He wanted to be with Eren for as long as he'd have him. His trust in him lit a flame of hope in his chest.

Eren felt so safe in Levi's arms, even more so now than he did before. Now he had no secrets hidden away. The singer knew more about him than anyone else, and he hadn't run away screaming. He wanted him around forever, never wanting to let go. There was something to be said for someone who genuinely cared and showed that in actions and words. He'd never felt so weightless, like he could conquer the world. It was nice.

His thoughts turned to his brother, and his heart clenched with bittersweetness. He was thankful that he could focus on the good now. Getting the pain off of his chest was relieving. Sleep pulled him down, and soon he was floating through dreams of Zeke, all of his precious and most cherished memories playing like movies behind his eyelids. Levi watched the smile spread on Eren's lips while he slept, and with a sigh akin to a caress, he finally succumbed to unconsciousness himself. He no longer felt useless; he'd been able to help Eren when he needed it most, and that brought him a pleasant serenity.

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> Well, there you have it. Eren's past has been revealed. You all now know what exactly his parents have over him. I hope it helped you to understand why he is the way he is. I've been planning this idea since around chapter two. I knew I wanted him to have a troubled, traumatic past, but I wasn't quite sure how to go about it. In the end I felt like this would be right for this story. Eren is a strong-willed, hard-headed character; if someone was going to be able to keep him under their thumb, it had to be for an intense, sickening reason.
> 
> Please, tell me what you think of this chapter. Tell me how it made you feel, how it affected you, and what you thought about Eren's past. Was it as horrible as you thought it would be? Was it worse? How much more do you hate his parents now that you know than you did with blissful ignorance to his past? I want to know everything. I read and respond to every comment, they mean so much to me; they keep me going and make my day better. As proud as I am of accomplishing this chapter, I'm worried that I wasn't able to do a good job at what I set out to do. I hope that this brought out those emotions I was so hoping to elicit.
> 
> Thank you all for your continual support of this story, and myself, and for patiently waiting each and every chapter. I love and appreciate all of you, and I could not imagine what it would be like if I didn't have such wonderful readers behind me. You have no idea just how much you mean to me. I apologize for the heavy angst, I hope it's not too painful to read.
> 
> All the love, until next time, Ritsy.
> 
> P.S. Have you guys been catching the newest episodes of AoT? Because I have. I'm dying for the next episode, the build up is killing me. Also Levi is so hnnngg. I love that man. Unf.
> 
> P.S.S. If anyone is interested, A Clockwork Orange is back on Netflix and I'm living for it.


	24. Take Your Fucking Clothes Off

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> Hyello babes! I bring you another update! I wrote this all in one sitting because I spent about an hour or so roughly planning out the next 5 chapters. So I've got up to chapter 29 more or less decided, and I really can't wait to write them all. I've got like the opposite of writer's block; I cannot stop the flow and the need. Any time I'm not writing I'm antsy as fuck. Unfortunately work gets in the way (I do love my job though). I am also making sure to take breaks and do other shit to relax. Like for instance, I finally bought Assassin's Creed Syndicate, and I've also been playing Vampyr. ALSO I've been watching each newly released episode of AoT every time they drop.  
> ANYWAY, I'm rambling and y'all probably don't give a shit about all of that. This chapter. It had some fun moments to write. I'm happy with how it turned out. I hope you all enjoy it thoroughly. I apologize for errors, grammatical or otherwise, I'm posting this before sleeping. I'll edit it later (I've been doing this a lot lately, oop).

_**10 Months Ago** _

_**April** _

The next morning forces Levi to wakefulness in an unbearable heat that makes sweat slick his skin and glues his shirt to his back uncomfortably. His hair is damp and clinging to his forehead, and as he struggles to sit up and remove himself from the nest, he shoves it back with calloused fingers. Groggy and confused, his tired eyes flicker around Eren's living room, trying to discover the source of warmth. His gaze lands on the brunet curled up in blankets and pillows. Eren is shivering almost violently, his skin flushed and streaked with a cold sweat. Cursing under his breath, Levi presses a hand against Eren's forehead. He yanks it back and winces at just how warm it feels beneath his palm. Clearly, the lawyer is running a fever. Levi climbs to his feet, carefully disentangling himself from a blanket, before leaning over Eren and gently shaking his shoulder.

"Eren, you need to get up," he murmurs softly, squeezing the too-warm skin beneath his hand. When the brunet does nothing but whine softly, he shakes him a little more firmly. "Come on, brat. I just want to move you to your bed."

Eren's lids flutter open, his vibrant eyes hazed over. Confusion twists his brow, and he slowly shifts his gaze up to drink in Levi's face. "What's—where?" His voice is hoarse, more than just with sleep, and he coughs after speaking, wincing at the scratchiness in his throat.

"C'mon, give me your hands," Levi gently commands, reaching his arms out to try and coax Eren into doing the same. It takes a few moments for his coughing fit to subside, but once it does, he weakly rests his palms in Levi's. The singer grips onto them firmly, pulling the taller man carefully up to his feet. Eren leans heavily onto him, his arms curling over his shoulders. Levi can feel the burn of his skin through his own clothes, and he grits his teeth, clamping down on his worry.

Guiding Eren down the hall takes longer than it would under normal circumstances, but as soon as they make it to his room, Levi forces him into bed. He pulls the blankets up over his trembling form, brushing his lips against his heated cheek.

"Stay here, I'll be right back." After Eren nods, Levi straightens up and searches for his phone. He finds it in the living room, and picks it up to dial Hange's number. He places his phone between his cheek and shoulder, listening to it ring as his feet carry him into the guest bathroom. He's checking the medicine cabinet when his roommate picks up.

" _Levi! I was worried,"_  Hange shouts as soon as the call connects, and Levi winces and scowls.

There's nothing in the medicine cabinet except for a few brand-new toothbrushes and a tube of toothpaste. He shuts it on a sigh. "Hange, I'm not coming in to work today."

For a moment there's silence, and Levi is already padding back into Eren's room, making a beeline for his ensuite. Then the woman hyena cackles, loud and abrasive, causing the singer to jump about a foot in the air. His phone slips free from his shoulder and he has to scramble to catch it. Glaring down at the device as if he expected Hange to feel his anger, he shoved it back into its place, and stepped over to the medicine cabinet.

" _You're a riot! April fool's, right?"_  Hange laughs again, and Levi pinches the bridge of his nose in annoyance.

"You've known me for how many years now, and you think I'd pull a prank that weak? And besides, it's not the first until midnight, asswipe." He huffs his irritation, yanking the door open and scouring the cabinet. There's hide nor hair of any cold medicine, or anything that could be remotely useful to Eren, and he finds himself cursing out the brunet in his head. What kind of idiot doesn't keep any medication on hand? A useless, stupid brat, apparently. "Eren's sick, I'm taking care of him, so I'm not going in to the studio today."

" _What!? You—you can't skip! Erwin's gonna skin you alive!"_ His roommate screeches like a banshee, and he can hear movement over the line. She's probably flailing around, if he had to guess.  _"He had a fuckin' cow yesterday! When you left without coming back to tell him, man. You should have seen his face. I've never seen him that mad. And now you're telling me you're ditching?! Do you_ have _a deathwish?"_

A long-suffering sigh flees past his lips, and he slams the cabinet, turning to lean his lower back against the counter. "Of course not. I don't give a shit if he's pissed. I knew something was wrong with Eren, and it's fucking lucky I found him when I did. I'm not leaving him now, not when he's sick. Tell Erwin to take it up with me if he's got a fucking problem, but I'm not going anywhere." His tone of voice was hard, unwavering, and Hange could tell just how serious he was. He meant every word.

" _What happened? Is Eren okay?"_  Concern painted her staticky voice, and Levi's temper soothed at the sound of it.

"He's okay now," he mumbled, turning to glance out of the bathroom door and into the bedroom. He could just see the lower half of the bed, catching the lump of Eren beneath its covers. "I can't tell you what happened, it's not my place. I can't leave him alone," he whispered, his voice strained. His face contorted into an odd mix of worry and anger. He clenches his jaw tightly, grinding his teeth.

Hange stays quiet, digesting the pain laced through her roommate's voice. She's rarely ever heard him sound like this, only when someone extremely important to him is hurt and he can't do anything to fix it. Determination lights a fire in her, and she leans forward, her voice low and serious.  _"Listen, take care of Eren. I'll keep Eyebrows off your back. Do you need me to do anything for you?"_

"Actually…" Levi trails off, flicking his gaze back over his shoulder to the medicine cabinet. "Can you bring cold medicine? The brat doesn't have a single pill in this entire house."

" _Of course! Leave it to me."_

"And Hange… thanks," the singer murmurs softly, bringing a smile to her lips.

" _Don't mention it. You're giving me the chills, Satan,"_  she jokes, cackling like a witch.

"You ass," he grumbles, hanging up. That's one call down. He quickly shoots Hange a text containing Eren's address.

Levi exits the bathroom, his eyes seeking out Eren, and upon seeing him still curled up in his bed, he breathes a sigh of relief, the tension in his muscles fading. He heads out to the kitchen as he taps onto Armin's contact, pressing call. Pouring a cold glass of water, Levi presses the phone to his ear. On his way back down the hall to Eren's room, the blond picks up.

" _H-hello?"_  he stutters, clearly hesitant to speak with Levi after the way yesterday's call had gone. The older man can't blame him in the least. He'd been kind of a dick.

"Hey, Blondie," Levi drawls, switching the phone to his other ear. "Sorry for biting your head off yesterday. I wanted to let you know that Eren isn't coming in to work today, he's sick."

Armin swallows noisily, then clears his throat.  _"O-oh? Don't worry about it, Levi. Um, but—"_

Levi cuts the blond lawyer off with a hissed "shit" when he steps into the bedroom. Eren is no longer in bed. He's instead managed to pull a suit out of his closet and haphazardly shrug into a dress shirt. The singer sets the glass of water down onto the dresser, moving fast towards the brunet.

"Eren," he says, voice dangerously low. "I told you to stay in bed. What the fuck do you think you're doing, hm? Brat?"

The brunet sways slightly, his fever making him feel weak and lethargic. Still, he turns to look at Levi, his bottom lip jutting out in a pout. "I have to go to work," he rasps out, voice scratchy. "I'm already late."

"You're  _sick_ , you tall fucking child," Levi growls, removing his hand from his phone after cradling it tightly with his shoulder. "Take that shirt off right now." His fingers are on Eren, then, curling into the shirt to try and remove it.

Eren stubbornly fights him, trying his best to keep it on and ward off the shorter man. "No, I have to go to work," he argues, wincing at the dry ache in his throat. "It's just a cold, I'll live."

Levi's face pinches in frustration, his irritated huff of a breath resembling a hiss as he forces it out between clenched teeth. "Eren  _fucking_  Jaeger. You have a fever hotter than Satan's asscrack. I'm not letting you go to work. So cooperate and fucking strip.  _Now."_

Shaking his head, the brunet takes a step back, clinging tightly onto his dress shirt. He glares weakly at his counterpart, fever-glassed eyes staring him down. Levi is far from intimidated, and he takes a threatening step forward.

"You can't make me."

Patience snapping with the twitch of his brow, Levi's lips press into a grim line. "Give me a minute," he snarls into the phone, causing Armin to jump. He'd been helplessly listening to the argument, and he hears an echoing clatter when the singer throws his phone on top of the dresser. He presses his ear closer to the receiver, trying to hear them even though their voices are muffled with distance.

"You stubborn little shit," Levi seethes, and he's back on Eren, hands forcing the brunet's fingers to uncurl from the fabric of the shirt. "I  _can_  fuckin' make you. Is this what you're like when you're sick?" He succeeds in yanking the top down none too gently, fighting it away from tanned arms. "Extra stubborn? Christ."

"Levi," Eren whines, the fight leaving him as a wave of dizziness washes over him. "I can't miss work again." He sounds tired and rough, and it takes the irritation right out of the shorter man.

He sighs, fully removing the shirt from Eren's person. He puts it back onto its hanger with care, buttoning the top button before hanging it back in the closet. "Baby, listen to me." Levi's voice is much softer now, soothing and warm. He steps back in front of Eren, curling his arms around his waist and pulling him close, his face angled up to look at him through his lashes. "There is nothing wrong with missing work when you're sick, no one is going to be mad at you. You can barely stand up as it is. Let me take care of you. Please?"

Eren hesitates, then slumps bodily against Levi, his arms coming up to curl around his shoulders. "Okay," he whispers against his skin, nuzzling into his throat.

"That's a good boy," Levi praises, turning to press gentle kisses all along Eren's cheek and jaw. His arms squeeze around the brunet, holding him closer. "Thank you. Now let's get you back into bed, okay Bright Eyes?"

"Yeah." Eren lets Levi guide him back into bed, and he lays down heavily, his body feeling like lead. Standing and moving around so much had taken a toll on him, and he sighs in relief at not having to support himself anymore.

Levi tucks Eren in before moving back to the dresser, picking up his phone and the glass of water. He pads over to the bed, handing the cup to Eren. "Drink," he commands, before bringing the phone to his ear. Levi watches to make sure his brat obeys, and once confirming with his own eyes that Eren is dutifully drinking, he brings his attention back to the blond brat on the line. "You still there?"

Armin nods, realises he can't be seen, and clears his throat awkwardly.  _"Yeah, yes, I am. So, Eren's sick?"_  Levi hums an affirmative, and the lawyer hesitates. He wants to address his next question with care, but this entire situation is odd and new to him.  _"Is there… something going on? Between you two, I mean. I take it you're at his house, right?"_

Once again a sigh finds itself being expelled from Levi's lungs, and he turns away from the bed, moving out of the bedroom and into the hall. He feels overly tired, and dry-washes his face with one hand. "Look, kid. It's not really your business, and it's not up to me to tell you shit. You wanna know what's going on? Ask Eren. You're his best friend, right?" Levi poses the question, but it's rhetorical and he doesn't wait for an answer before continuing to speak. "He should confide in you, and I'm sure he wants to. The brat keeps everything locked up tight, he doesn't want to trouble anyone. So you approach him first. Make him talk to you. Show him you're not gonna judge and that you're there for him.

"And before you try to tell me that he knows those things, understand something. It doesn't matter if those things go without saying and that he  _should_  know it. Eren doesn't want to be a burden, and he's scared of opening up. Even I can see that shit, and I'm emotionally constipated. You have to hammer it into his head. He's a stubborn, dense little fucking brat," he grumbles, but the sentiment he tries to convey is lost in just how affectionate his tone becomes in his final statement.

Armin is rather shocked. He didn't take Levi for a talker, for one, and secondly, the way he seems to know and understand Eren with such a surety and confidence is staggering. Even he can't say that he understands Eren fully, and Armin has been friends with him since they were in diapers. The night Levi had picked up the brunet from The Wall had given him an inkling of what was truly between the two, but now he was closer to certain. The way that Levi spoke to and about Eren carried with it so much affection and care, it stole Armin's breath. He wasn't sure just what his best friend had gotten himself into, but he'd be damned if he wasn't going to let him go through things alone. Levi was right; he needed to have a heart to heart with Eren.

" _I think you're good for him,"_  Armin hummed, more to himself than to Levi.  _"You certainly seem to know what you're talking about. Thanks, for taking care of him, and… for the advice. I'll talk to him."_

"Good, the brat needs more people on his side," Levi drawled with a scowl, his mind flashing to Eren's parents. He shoved them away, not needing to get angry all over again.

"Levi," Eren called from the bedroom, sounding utterly miserable.

" _I won't keep you. Goodbye, Levi."_

"Bye, Blond Coconut." Levi hung up before Armin could correct him, and strode back into the bedroom. "What's wrong, baby?"

"I feel like shit," he whined softly, burying his face into his pillow. His body aches, the fever making him feel like he's freezing to death even while sweat coats his skin, and he feels utterly exhausted. His throat stings, his nose is stuffed, and he curses himself for sitting out in the cold for fuck knows how long the other day.

He's pulled out of his thoughts when Levi sits on the bed beside him, his fingers carding through his sweaty russet locks. The look on his face makes Eren's heart stop; his slate irises are darkened with concern, his brows are drawn together, and his lips are pressed into a thin line. His every subtle change to his expression conveys just how worried he is, and how much he cares about the brunet. Suddenly, Eren's heart is fluttering in his chest, doused in warmth as it beats against his ribcage, and butterflies rise up in his stomach. He really doesn't deserve someone like Levi, he can't stress enough to himself how lucky he is. His fingers come up to trail along Levi's jaw, and he swallows painfully.

"I—" he starts, but is cut off by the sound of his doorbell being abused. Eren stares at Levi, his body clenching in fear. Levi can see the terror reflecting in pools of amber and teal.

"Hey, it's okay. I'm betting that would be Hange," he soothes, following it up with yet another sigh. Eren's still tense, but he can feel his apprehension fading as he gives Levi a questioning stare. "I asked her to bring some medicine, seeing as how you have none."

At the clarification, Eren fully relaxes, his breathing easing back out. He hadn't realised he'd started to hyperventilate. The singer announces that he'll be right back, before leaving Eren in his bed to rest. Levi marches down the hallway, rounding the corner to launch himself into the entryway. He unlocks the door and yanks it open, murderous glare already contorting his features.

"About time!" Hange shoves Levi out of the way before he can start lecturing her, and bounds into the house. She looks around curiously, shouting in delight at being inside of Eren's house for the first time. "It's so homey! It really suits him well, don't you think?"

" _Hange,"_  Levi stresses as he shuts the front door, his voice stern. "Shut the fuck up, you loudmouth. Who taught you how to ring the doorbell? You can't be a pain in the ass when Eren's sick."

"Oh, sorry," his roommate breathes contritely, bringing herself back down to a normal decibel. "I was just so excited to be here, I forgot. Can I see him?"

Levi grinds his teeth, his eyes narrowing mutinously. "That's a dumb fucking question. Of course not. You're lucky I even let you inside."

Snatching the shopping bag from her grasp, Levi starts digging through it, checking out everything she bought. Lozenges, DayQuil and NyQuil—which is the good shit, in his opinion—Gatorade, sprite, and a thermometer. If he was being honest, he was quite impressed with her purchases… but he wasn't going to admit that to her.

Thanking her sarcastically for buying the whole drugstore, Levi banished her to the couch with another threatening glare, before heading back into Eren's bedroom. He sat on the bed next to his counterpart, and set to ripping open the DayQuil box. He pulled out two gel capsules, setting them into Eren's hand. He twisted open the Gatorade before carefully passing it to the brunet. Eren dutifully took the pills, drinking half of the bottle. He handed it back to Levi, who resealed it and set it on the nightstand. Next he pulled out the thermometer, slid off the bed and trod into the bathroom. He washed it, refusing to let it be used right out of the box. Like hell he trusted anything that didn't have a safety seal. While in the bathroom, Levi dampened two washcloths. He rung them out, then gathered them and the thermometer. Back at Eren's side, he turned the thermometer on and stuck it under the brunet's tongue.

Waiting for it to read his temperature, Levi peeled the comforter back. He used one of the washcloths to wipe Eren's body clear of sweat. Once satisfied with that, he discarded it and folded the second one into thirds. The thermometer beeped, and he took it from his counterpart's mouth. Definitely had a damn fever; his temperature read 102.3 degrees. Levi hummed as he set it down. It wasn't so high that it was alarming, at least. No hospital trip required. He'd be monitoring it closely, however. Setting the folded washcloth over Eren's forehead, he looked down to meet his disparate gaze.

"You've got quite a fever, brat. Do you want a cough drop?" Concern dripped from his velvety voice, and Eren nodded his head in assent. Levi tore open the crinkling package of lozenges and pulled one out, quickly removing its wrapper. He pressed it to the brunet's lips, and Eren immediately parted them. His tongue curled around the cough drop, and he took it into his mouth, sucking on it gratefully. "Need anything else?"

"No," Eren murmured, his hand coming up to curl his fingers around Levi's wrist. "Just a kiss, maybe."

Levi cracked a smile, using his free hand to resituate the blankets around his counterpart. "You are such a brat." Still, he leaned forward and brought his lips to Eren's, kissing him tenderly. He pulled back slightly, his lips still brushing against the taller man's when he spoke, voice low. "If I get sick, it's your fault."

"Can the devil get sick?" The question was posed with an innocent façade, before Eren broke out into a smirk.

"As soon as you're not sick, I'm kicking your ass for that." They both knew that threat was empty. Levi pressed another kiss to Eren's lips, a contented breath exhaled from his nose. "No more until you're better."

"Tease," Eren whined, nuzzling into Levi's caressing fingers.

"Get some rest, Bright Eyes," Levi commanded gently. "I'm here if you need me."

Eren pouted, but begrudgingly closed his eyes. Levi smiled, sneaking another kiss before standing from the bed. He left the brunet in his room, cracking the door so that he'd still be able to monitor him easily. He trailed down the hall, resigning himself to dealing with Hange.

Hange had apparently decided to behave herself. She hardly caused any trouble the entire time that Levi was making chicken noodle soup from scratch, even though it took a handful of hours, and he had to run and check on Eren more often than he was willing to admit to. He was pleasantly shocked by her ability to contain herself, but he supposed that she was also concerned for Eren. When he finished cooking, he served her a bowl, as thanks for being the errand girl, for her good behavior, and just for the fact that she'd kept him company. He really owed her a lot, and was damn lucky to have her as a best friend.

Levi served up another bowl, carrying it off to Eren's bedroom. He'd refused to make a can of Campbell's for his brat; that shit had far too much sodium in it, and as much as it was undeniably delicious, the brunet didn't need all of that damn salt while sick. He was getting his electrolytes from the Gatorade, he didn't need the salt to retain hydration. Levi quietly pushed the door open, moving over to the side of the bed that Eren was occupying. Eren currently had his face nuzzled into the pillow that Levi had used last, making the older man's heart flutter so powerfully he wanted to fling himself off of the roof.

Instead, he set the soup onto the nightstand, and hovered over Eren. He shook the lawyer awake, helping him to sit up. Before giving him his soup, he took his temperature again. It had dropped a few degrees, and he was glad that it had. He watched Eren carefully pick up the bowl, and made sure that he ate at least some of it. Apparently, he didn't have to worry, because Eren's appetite seemed unaffected by his cold. He devoured the entire bowl of soup, exclaiming how delicious it was the entire time. When he'd finished eating, Levi had him take another round of cold medicine, tucked him back in, and placed another moist washcloth on his forehead. He left Eren to get more sleep, but continually checked on him.

Eren was so thankful that Levi was there, forcing food, meds, and liquids into him. He hadn't had anyone taking care of him when he was sick since Zeke had still been alive. It was such a foreign experience, but it really warmed his heart and made him happy. Normally, Eren would force himself to work through the sickness, and would have been at work all day, hiding the fact that he wasn't feeling well from his friends and clients. He would have felt guilty for staying home just for a silly little cold and fever. But Levi made him feel like it was okay if he took care of himself, that it was more than acceptable to prioritize his needs over work. Even though he hated being sick, he almost didn't want it to end, if it meant he had Levi there to take care of him.

* * *

Within a few days Eren made a full recovery, and returned to work. After his birthday and subsequent sickness, he really realised just how important it was to take care of himself and rely on other people when he needed to. Because of Levi. With that in mind, he'd talked to all of his friends at work, informed them all of how stressed out he was because of his ever growing pile of work. He asked for their help, and of course they were more than willing. Armin, Ymir, and Jean all took on several cases for him, and he thanked them a thousand times over. Even Historia was there to help, refusing potential clients whose cases could be taken on by the thousands of other lawyers in Trost. Most of them only seemed to want Eren's help based solely on his name. She refused petty cases, as well. The only ones that he made sure she always accepted were those in need and couldn't afford a lawyer on their own.

With the help of his friends, his workload decreased significantly. It brought more free time back into his life, and now he was finally able to get a decent night's sleep. Especially when Levi was sharing his bed, more often than not. The singer had brought up with him how badly he felt about leaving Hange alone in their apartment all of the time. The three of them came up with a solution. 2 nights a week, Levi and Eren would spend time at his apartment with Hange; they'd watch movies, eat dinner together, and generally enjoy each other's company, before they went to Levi's room to sleep. The rest of their nights were spent at Eren's, and 2 or 3 nights every week, Hange would come over, hang out with them, and sleep on the lawyer's fantastic couch.

Eren honestly didn't mind the additional time with Hange. He liked her plenty, and she was a riot to have around. It was extremely amusing to watch her and Levi's antics. Thus, they had a new routine. It was nice; to Eren, it felt like having a family. Levi and Hange bickered and fought like siblings, which made sense, and he felt included into Levi's world more. Eren didn't want to admit how much that meant to him, or how it affected his heart. He really didn't want any of this to end. He wanted to be closer to Levi.

Hange was absolutely ecstatic to hang out with Eren. Truth be told, she'd been missing Levi a lot. Sure, she got to see him at work all the time, and he'd been trying to balance himself out between their apartment and the brunet's house, but after spending so many years stuck to each other like glue, it felt like something was missing, like there was a hole that didn't belong. This arrangement they'd come up with fixed that. Besides, Hange liked Eren. She liked the way he softened Levi. She felt like Eren was really good for her best friend and brother, and she loved watching them together. She still teased them every chance she got, though. She just couldn't help herself.

It was because of this arrangement that Hange and Eren had a heart to heart one night. Levi was taking a shower, and Eren finally had the courage to ask her why she'd been living with Levi's family. So she told him, all about her mother and father, how she had no extended family, how Kuchel and Kenny took her in with open arms. How she'd been friends with Mikasa before everything in her life went to shit, and how she became attached to Levi.

"He just cared so much, even if he didn't look or act like it. He didn't even know me. But he'd see me in the neighborhood, or playing with Mikasa." As Hange spoke, she got such a doting look on her face, it was clear to Eren just how much she loved Levi. "When things were getting bad with my mom, I went for a walk in the rain one day. Just to get away, you know? And Levi just pulled over at the side of the road out of nowhere. He told me to get in his car, and he drove me over to their house. He made me soup," she said with a laugh, shaking her head.

"Shortly after that, my mom passed, and my dad tried to join her. He was on life support, and I didn't want them to pull the plug. When the Ackermans took me in, he was always there. He tried to make sure I was comfortable and happy there. He acts like he's such an asshole, and don't get me wrong, he is—but he's such a big fucking softie. He didn't leave for college until he'd saved up enough money, but then he was gone. And I do love them all, but I really missed him. I didn't want to be away from my brother. So, as soon as I graduated, I followed him."

Eren listened to her with rapt attention the entire time she talked. It was fascinating to hear the story from her point of view rather than Levi's. Having both perspectives painted the whole picture for him. He was very sympathetic for Hange; she'd had such a hard time at such a young age. He thought that she was a very strong woman to make it through it all relatively unscathed, sanity notwithstanding. After she'd finished sharing, Eren felt it only fair to answer her question. Hange had asked about what had happened when Levi had went to find him. He told her everything, shortening the story so it wouldn't take years. She'd hugged him, then, tightly. She understood loss. It made him teary-eyed, but he appreciated her for it all the same.

When Levi came out of the bedroom, hair dripping from his shower, he came to a halt at the mouth of the hallway, freezing at the sight of two hugging, blubbering brats. He sighed, affection for the idiots in his heather eyes. And he was happy that they were bonding. He was happy that they got along and liked each other so much, just like he knew they would all those months ago when he'd sat in the diner with Eren.

It felt like everything was falling into place, and that life couldn't possibly get any better.

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> And there you have it! Sick Eren and Doting Levi. What did you guys think? Did you enjoy it? I know it might not be the most interesting chapter, but I love writing fluff. I felt like we all needed a dose of fluff after all that angst in the previous chapter. Oh, and um. Prepare yourselves for the next chapter? More angst? Oop? Don't hate me. It's a good thing? You'll see, I can't say anything without spoiling it. Yeah. ANYWAY.  
> Thoughts, I want your thoughts and feelings about this chapter. Did you enjoy Levi having to literally fight Eren out of his clothes? But not for sexy reasons, unfortunately. Also Hange is a godsend and I love her. Lots of Levi/Armin interaction as of late. What are your favorite bits? Please comment, I read and respond to every single one. Each and every one of you babes matters, even the non-commenters. I love y'all.  
> As soon as I get out of work tonight, I'm going to be back to writing and cracking down on the next chapter.
> 
> Quick question: I mentioned in the comments of last chapter the possibility of writing something involving Carla's past. That made me want to write it; so, I have been. I think I'm about halfway done with it, and I've been debating posting it. It wouldn't be a chapter in this story. I'd make a collection, and it would be bound to this story in that way, because even if it's not a part of THIS story, so to speak, it IS. Posting it as a chapter would deviate too much, but including it as like, a side story, just so everyone knows Carla's backstory. Would you guys actually want to read it? I'm going to finish writing it regardless, but I want to know if it'll actually get read if I post it. Thoughts?
> 
> Thank you all for being fantastic! Your support means so damn much. Everyone's comments on the last chapter really fucking made my life. You have all my love. Really. I'm getting sappy, so it's bedtime. Until next time! Ritsy.


	25. Unexpected Visitor

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> Henlo there. It's been like. 2 days. But I really wanted to get this chapter done and up. The tides are beginning to change. The meaning to that will become clear with the addition of the next chapter (whenever that'll be, I know I'm going to be working on it tomorrow because I have no. self. control.) but in the meantime, have this. We love character development. As I mentioned in the previous chapter, there is angst ahead. But this whole chapter isn't straight angst. You're not gonna get another one like that for a while. So enjoy! Apologies for any errors, grammatical or otherwise.  
> Also, I want to point out that this is the earliest I've gotten out a chapter in a while (timewise for me; normally I'm up til like 6 or 7 am to get it done).
> 
> EDIT: NOW INCLUDES ART. TAKE A LOOK.

_**9 Months Ago** _

_**May** _

Steam billows out of the ensuite bathroom as the door is pushed open. Levi pads into Eren's room, drenched in water and clad only in a towel. It sits low on his hips, fastened tightly to keep it secure. Droplets of water cascade down his chest, dripping from his saturated ebony locks. He sighs in contentment, muscles finally relaxed after a long day. Moving deeper into the room, the singer pulls open a dresser drawer, pawing through to search for something to wear. Inevitably, some of his clothes had ended up making their way over to Eren's house, though he still preferred to wear the lawyer's whenever he got the chance. It only made sense for him to bring his own wardrobe to stay with all of the time he spent there. He secured a pair of his own boxer briefs, charcoal grey joggers, and one of the brunet's tank tops.

Laying his selection out on the bed, Levi takes his time to thoroughly dry himself off. He squeezes as much excess moisture out of his hair as he can manage, then tosses the towel into the hamper in the corner of the room. After dressing quickly, the musician looks down at his form, secretly adoring the way that his torso drowns in the fabric of Eren's tank top. His collarbones are exposed, one strap hanging limply from one shoulder. The arm holes are gaping slits, coming to a stop just below his ribcage on his sides. The shirt exposes his sinewy, muscled arms, and gives a hint of his abdomen when he leans forward. Baggy clothes are much more comfortable than ones that fit like a second skin, and there's something beyond satisfying about wearing the lawyer's clothes. He'll never admit it, but he enjoys the fact that he's shorter than Eren immensely.

Levi shakes his head at himself, dismissing his thoughts, and finally exits the bedroom. He trails down the hallway, raking a hand through his damp hair, his heather irises focusing on the pretty brunet currently situated on the couch. Eren is sitting with his legs open, slouching against the back of the seat, and one of his arms is thrown over the armrest. His other hand is resting on his knee. Levi's heart does maddening backflips as he admires the other man, who's wearing a pair of sweats and one of the singer's cashmere sweaters. The top fits him pretty perfectly, unlike with himself, and he finds himself mentally thanking his mother for always making them 3 sizes too big for him. He forces his eyes away from Eren, turning to head into the kitchen. The brunet reaches out to caress his fingers tenderly against his arm, and Levi wants to melt. This little fuck is going to be the death of him.

In the kitchen, Levi starts looking through the cabinets and the pantry, his lips pursing into a thin line. It looks like the house is running low on food. Eren needs to go shopping soon, since they've been cooking more often than not. With a sigh, he pulls open the fridge and hunches down slightly, scanning its contents. Maybe they'll have to order takeout tonight, because nothing is jumping out at him. He'll have to see what Eren thinks before making a decision. Fuck what Hange wants; the woman's a black hole, she'll consume anything they set in front of her.

The sound of a cellphone chirping in notification draws the singer's attention, and he moves back out into the living room to see Eren unlocking his phone. "Who is it?"

  
"Izzy," Eren answers, his fingers tapping into his messages. There's a little picture icon, and he taps on it to load it up into a full screen view. "Wow, Levi, come look at this."

Levi steps up behind the couch, his arms draping around Eren's neck as he leans over his shoulder to bring his gaze to the phone screen. His jaw drops as he takes in the image, and he sucks in a breath. "She cut her hair."

The brunet grins widely, staring at the picture of his sister with a doting light in his heterochromatic eyes. In the picture, Isabel is smiling brightly, winking as she gazes into the camera with her glittering emerald eye. Where her hair had been just below her shoulder blades before, a mass of untamable auburn waves, it was now extremely short. She was rocking an asymmetrical pixie cut, the left side short enough to barely tuck behind her ear, and the right coming down dramatically to rest beneath her chin. It was an edgy cut, and with her wild hair, it suited her rather well. Locks of auburn stick out every which way, the style perfect for her slender face. It matured her enough to make her look like the young adult that she was, rather than a twelve year old.

"Damn, it looks really good," Eren murmured, zooming in on it slightly to get a better look.

"You'd better tell her I fuckin' love it, brat," Levi drawled, his fingers tracing meaningless patterns all along the brunet's collarbones and shoulders. He hummed, recalling that he'd wanted Eren's opinion on food. "Do you have anything you want to cook, or are we ordering takeout tonight?

The lawyer sets about doing just that, shivering at the feeling of calloused fingertips dragging over his exposed flesh. He can feel goosebumps breaking out over his skin, and he decides to resolutely ignore the sensation as he taps out a message.  _'Levi and I love it! You look badass, baby sis.'_  Once he hits send, he tosses his phone onto the coffee table, and turns in Levi's grasp.

The only thing that the shorter man catches is a devious glint in teal and amber eyes, before he's unceremoniously yanked over the back of the couch and dropped into Eren's lap. He blinks in shock, before huffing out an irritated breath.

"You'd better not want to mess around. We don't have time, Hange's gonna be here soon," Levi scolds him, crossing his arms over his chest and glaring at his counterpart. "Also, you didn't answer my fucking question."

Eren hums in acknowledgement of the words, but blatantly disregards them as he slips a hand up the singer's shirt, fingers splaying out over his abs. Licking his lips and lidding his eyes, the lawyer eagerly feels Levi up, leaving not even an inch of skin unexplored. Teeth sinking into his bottom lip, the shorter man squirms, trying to lean away from insistent digits. He wasn't kidding when he said they didn't have time. Gripping onto Eren's wrist tightly, he tries to force his large hands away from his skin, but the brat is nothing if not determined.

"If you didn't want me coming onto you, you wouldn't look so sexy, wearing my shirt." Eren's voice comes out in a low growl, dripping in a famished lust. His irises have darkened, pupils blowing out as he rakes his gaze all over Levi's exposed skin like a starving man. Shivers dance all along the singer's spine, and he can feel the heat of arousal pooling low in his gut.

 _Fuck it,_  Levi thinks. He latches his arms around Eren's neck, yanking him harshly forward to join their lips in a fierce kiss. Fingers tangle and tug on the russet locks at the nape of his neck insistently, urging him closer. Eren would be braindead if he didn't comply. Pressing his chest against the smaller man's, he runs his tongue along the seam of his lips, barely giving him a moments notice before his wet muscle is diving into his mouth and exploring greedily. The kiss is full of passion and an intensity that steals Levi's breath. He makes a needy sound in the back of his throat, rolling his body against Eren's teasingly. Managing not to break the kiss, Levi shifts his legs until his straddling the other man.

Long, slender fingers dig roughly into his hips, forcing his lower body flush against the brunet's. He can feel the straining hardness pressing into his own, and he moans hotly into the kiss, raking his nails down the back of Eren's neck. Keeping one hand on Levi's hip, Eren breaks the kiss and brings his other hand up to tangle in wavy raven locks. He gives a forceful tug, baring the pale throat to his hungry stare. He watches as Levi's adam's apple bobs when he swallows, before he descends and starts nipping and sucking on the porcelain column of flesh. His teeth sink into skin, his tongue laves to soothe, and he presses open mouthed kisses against each little love bite.

Levi is moaning, guttural and low, and his toes curl into the sofa cushion at Eren's ministrations. Every time they'd joined their bodies together for a mindblowing fuck, the brunet had discovered new spots that drove the singer wild. His cock was twitching, and he locked his legs around Eren's hips, grinding down against his straining erection. Levi is heavily sliding his ass along the throbbing length, shivering every time his own dick brushes against Eren's abdomen. The singer rocks against him for all he's worth, practically riding his clothed cock. Eren groans, pausing in attacking Levi's neck, and he tugs harshly on the tresses tangled around his fingers. Rocking his own hips up to meet the singer's makes electricity shoot through their veins, and a whole new desperation is born. They rut against each other, starving for friction, the sounds of their panting breaths and low moans filling the living room.

Distantly aware of time passing, Levi separates his chest from Eren's, his hips still gyrating insistently. "Hange's going to be here soon, we don't fucking have time for this," he hisses, but loses his conviction on a moan at a particularly pleasurable thrust from his counterpart.

The air displaces around Levi as he's tossed off of Eren's lap and onto the couch. Before confusion can really surface, the taller male is molding his body over his, pressing their hips together immediately. Eren humps and ruts almost violently into his counterpart, drawing desperate, keening moans of increasing volume from Levi's parted lips. The singer tosses his head back against a throw pillow, and his fingers scramble to find purchase on Eren's biceps. He tosses his legs around the backs of his strong thighs, urging him forward as he rocks his own hips up. Eren is grunting and groaning gutturally in his ear as his hot little tongue flicks against his lobe. Levi's eyes roll back into his head, and he arches his back sharply at the ecstasy building up in his groin and fanning out through his limbs.

There's a knock at the front door, but Levi is rendered helpless with the way Eren is rolling and rocking his hips into him. He shivers at the feeling of his shaft dragging over his through the layers of their clothes, and he chokes on a desperate whine.

"Eren, Hange—" Levi tries, but he loses his train of thought with a loud moan at the sharp snap of Eren's hips. Fuck, he really wants to feel the brunet inside of him, wants to ride him like his life depends on it. He's desperate with want, it's stealing his sanity. "The door, we have—to answer…" His hands slip under Eren's sweater, fingers gripping onto his sweat-slicked skin.

"No," Eren practically snarls into his ear, and his back arches up sharply off of the cushions beneath him, hips rutting wildly at the domineering tone. A more insistent knocking at the door, but neither of them are paying it any mind now.

"Fuck," he whimpers, goosebumps prickling at his flesh as a shiver shoots down his spine. "God, Eren, please. Make me cum, I need to cum, please,  _fuck, I wanna cum. Eren."_  Levi is begging, sobbing a litany of the brunet's name, nails dragging roughly down his broad back.

He can feel his orgasm building, he's so fucking close, and he's rocking up into Eren without a rhythm, his desperation palpable in the air. Never one to disappoint, Eren grips onto his hips and holds him in place as he grinds, rolls, rocks, and ruts his cock against Levi's forcefully and slow. It's too much, too fucking much, and its throwing Levi over the edge. White hot pleasure burst through his veins, and he's moaning broken expletives, Eren's name whispered like a prayer on trembling lips. The bell is being rung now, someone holding their finger down on the button and making it trill with no end in sight. Eren chases down his own climax, his hips rolling languidly to savor every moment of mind-blanking pleasure.

They're panting, sucking air in desperately. As Levi comes down from his orgasmic high, he dry-washes his face with a feeble groan. "I can't believe we just dry-humped like horny teenagers."

"You loved it," Eren teases after catching his breath. He presses a kiss to Levi's cheek. "Let's get the door, then we can get cleaned up, hm?"

Levi shudders at the feeling of cum coating his underwear, and his expression twists up into disgust and discomfort. "Sounds like a plan, babe. Help me up."

Eren moves off of Levi and climbs to his feet, before turning and taking his hands. He pulls the shorter man up, the doorbell now being pressed over and over again. "Coming!" He calls, and Levi snorts. Yeah, they both had that covered plenty already.

The two men walk over to the entryway. Levi hovers behind Eren, arms crossed over his chest as the brunet pulls open the door. Fucking Hange, and her need to interrupt post-coital bliss at every fucking opportunity. Only, it's not Hange at the door.

"Iz?" Eren asks, and Levi can hear the worry in his voice. He steps forward, peeking around his arm.

Isabel is stood on the porch, her head downcast. She looks so small and fragile, standing next to a suitcase that has bits of fabric sticking out, like she'd had to pack in a rush. Her tiny body is trembling, and she curls into herself. Eren and Levi can tell that something is horribly wrong. The brunet rushes his sister inside while his counterpart picks up her suitcase and brings it in. He carries it off to her bedroom while Eren gets Isabel situated on his couch. He tries to ignore the fact that he just humped Levi into the cushions not even two minutes ago.

The redhead collapses onto the couch, her hands coming up for her to bury her face into. The brunet places his hand carefully on her back, rubbing soothing circles. Levi returns to the living room after ditching his soiled underwear in Eren's bedroom. He moves in front of the siblings, before carefully sitting onto the edge of the coffee table. He reaches out and gently takes ahold of Izzy's hands, tugging them softly to remove them from her face. Eren and Levi exchange worried glances when she still doesn't look at them.

"Izzy, what's wrong?" Eren prods softly, his arm moving to curl over her shoulders and lean her against his chest.

His little sister finally tears her gaze away from the carpet, and she looks up at Levi, then Eren. Her emerald eyes are glassy, liquid pooling in them and threatening to spill. Her pale cheek has a red mark that contrasts her skin sharply, looking suspiciously like the shape of a hand. Alarm rises up in Eren, and anger ignites in Levi's heart. She hasn't spoken yet, but he's got a bad feeling that he knows exactly who's behind this.

Swallowing several times, Izzy finally finds her voice, though it's whisper-soft and trembling. "I got my hair cut after school. It was always such a hassle, you know? I can never get it to do anything, and mom always bitched me out for not styling it even though I  _tried to_." She laughs, but it sounds more like a sob, and her breathing is coming more shallowly. "I thought it would be fine. I thought she'd be okay with it. It's more manageable now. It does what it's supposed to."

Levi squeezes her hands comfortingly, cradling them in his palms. He's trying to fight back his anger and focus on her words. It would do nobody any good if he hunted the Jaeger's down and made them pay for everything they've ever inflicted onto their children. Eren is in a similar state, but his heart is plummeting into his stomach. He wasn't able to protect his little sister from their parents like he was supposed to. Anxiety creeps into his lungs, but he stays strong. He has to, Isabel needs him to be.

"When I got home, mom was in the den. She-she saw my hair, when she looked up. And… and…" Isabel sucks in a shaky breath, tears breaching her lids and slipping down her cheeks. Her face is wrinkled up in the effort of trying not to cry. "She freaked out. She fuckin' slapped me! And she started saying horrible things to me." Levi reaches one hand forward to wipe her tears, murmuring soothingly. Eren tightens his hold on her, bringing his other hand up to stroke her hair. "She told me that I'm a disappointment, and a dyke, and-and that she raised a daughter, not a f-freak."

Levi moves from the coffee table to the couch, sitting on the other side of Izzy. She's barely holding herself together, little hiccups fleeing her lips when she sucks in trembling breaths. The singer wraps his own arms around her and hugs her tightly. Eren's long arms circle around them both, and together they squeeze Isabel in a tight, comforting embrace. The warmth and support they're giving her helps get the next words out as painlessly as possible.

"She said she couldn't even look at me now, b-because I was so ugly." She'd tried her best to keep herself together. But saying that out loud, after having it yelled into her face not that long ago, made her burst into inconsolable sobbing. She buried her face in her hands, wincing at the sting of her cheek. Isabel burrows into her brother and Levi, clutching at them tightly. They're murmuring and cooing, stroking her hair and just holding her. It's more than her own parents had ever done for her. She doesn't want to go back. "D-dad told me to-to get out, because I'd upset mom. So I just… packed anything my hands touched and left. That might have been the only right thing I've ever done in their eyes."

"Izzy," Eren murmured, his voice sounding more like a pained exhale of breath. "You can stay here. You already have a room. You didn't deserve any of that. You haven't done anything wrong."

Incessant trilling of the doorbell echoed through the house, and Levi stood up with a sigh. He mussed up Isabel's hair, drawing her attention. The misery in her eyes hurt even him. "Your brother is right, y'know. You're a good kid, and you didn't deserve that shit." A combination of knocking and the doorbell ringing made Levi's eye twitch. He turned and stormed over to the front door. "I'm fucking coming, you annoying piece of shit!"

Eren continued to hold his sister as Levi threw the door open and dragged Hange inside by her ponytail. The squeal that left the woman's lips at the sight of Levi's decorated neck made them all wince. "What, did he try to fucking eat you?!" She exclaimed, and the singer's brow twitched in irritation. He wasn't sure who he wanted to scold more—Hange, for pointing out the very obvious collection of love bites, or Eren, for making him look like a vampire's midnight snack of choice. He settled for taking it out on his roommate.

The sight of the two squabbling and bickering made Izzy huff out a soft laugh, shaking her head. "Thank you, Ren. I'm sorry to put you on the spot with this."

"Hey, don't you even apologize for anything. You can live here for as long as you want. You don't have to go back." It was a promise; Eren meant every word. She would not have to go back unless she wanted to. He would lie to their parents' faces, invent whatever reason he needed to if they showed up to collect her. Eren was going to keep her with him, and keep her safe.

Defying his parents for the sake of his little sister was something he could manage without a moment's hesitation. He may lack the ability to stand up for himself, but she was an entirely different matter. He'd made the promise to protect her before she'd even been born, when he'd failed to save his brother. He was going to see that promise to until the end. Hell, they most likely wouldn't even show up. They'd written of Zeke so easily, they could do it for Isabel too. As long as Eren continued to follow their path.

Hange proved to be a good distraction for Isabel. It seemed like in no time, she had the redhead in a far better mood than she'd come into the house with. She'd even gotten a handful of laughs out of her. With the bassist there to provide entertainment, it gave the two men plenty of time to finally go clean up the dried cum in their pants. Levi had almost laughed himself to death when Eren had pulled his pants down and revealed the fact that his cum had glued his cock to his pelvis at an awkward angle. Even a dirty washrag to the face couldn't make him stop wheezing. It was such a comical situation to the older man that he'd wanted to take a picture to capture it forever, but the lawyer fought his phone out of his hands and threatened to drop it into the toilet. Their little scuffle over the cellphone ended in stolen kisses and playfully wandering hands. Unfortunately, Levi had to be the adult and put a stop to things before they'd begun. He didn't want their absence to go on for too long and draw Hange to catch them in the act. It had happened before. His fucking roommate had no sense of privacy or human decency.

Levi sat with his legs crossed on the couch, leaning into Eren's side, who had his arm draped over his shoulders. They watched with amusement as Izzy proceeded to cheat her way to victory against Hange while playing Uno. The brunette was bitching about how it wasn't as fun with just two people, but she continued to try and secure a win against the fiery redhead. So far, all she had under her belt were losses. Levi would have felt bad for her, if she wasn't a notorious cheater as well. Served her fucking right. A bit of a taste of her own medicine wouldn't kill her.

Fingers trailed up and down his bicep, before curling around it to pull him further into Eren's side. The singer hums in contentment, nuzzling his face into the brunet's shoulder. "You never did answer my question," Levi mumbled against tan skin, taking in a subtle breath to savor Eren's scent.

"What question?" Eren asked, slipping his hand away from Levi's arm to snake under his tanktop and rub along his hip. Levi shot him a warning glare; while he utterly craved the intimacy, the brunet never seemed to have self control when he got handsy, and Levi was  _not_  fucking in front of his sister  _or_  Hange.

"Did you want to cook, or did you want takeout?" The singer snuck his arm around Eren's waist, enjoying the feeling of it being trapped between his back and the couch. "We need to go grocery shopping soon, we're running low on shit to make."

Fuck, did Eren love the sound of that  _'we'_. It made his heart do backflips and stutter in his chest. It filled him with warmth and an intense, pleasant buzzing. Levi had been spending so much time at Eren's house, it was like they practically lived together, and that did things to his brain and heart. He never wanted it to end. Spending time with Levi just felt right, he was always at peace around the older man.

Eren pressed a kiss to Levi's jaw, letting his lips linger against his soft, porcelain skin. "Let's order in. Izzy can pick the place."

"Sounds good to me." Levi turned his face, capturing Eren's lips with his own in a breathtaking kiss.

Isabel wanted pizza, so after everyone rattled off what they wanted, Eren made the call to place the order. Meat Lover's for Hange, plain cheese for Izzy, and a Hawaiian pizza with extra pineapple for the two men. Eren had been pleasantly surprised to learn that Levi also loved pineapple on pizza, as most people he'd met vehemently hated it. They had no problems with sharing a pizza.

When the food was delivered, they all smooshed themselves onto the couch and put on a random movie. Levi was half in Eren's lap in an attempt to make room for the two girls, but apparently the brat liked the closeness a little  _too_  much. The singer could feel the brunet's cock at half-mast, pressing against his ass cheek. Trying to ignore it and focus on eating and watching the movie proved a little difficult, but he managed. After dinner, Isabel decided she wanted to camp out in the living room with Hange, and the two women set about dragging every single spare blanket and pillow they could get their hands out into the space. Eren helped them set everything up as Levi carried all of the leftovers into the kitchen and started putting them away.

He'd just put the last Ziploc into the fridge when strong arms snuck around his waist and pulled him back into a firm, warm chest. Eren's lips ghosted along the nape of his neck, and he shivered, surrendering to the feeling. Turning in the brunet's arms, Levi stood up on the tips of his toes to steal a kiss or five, his arms snaking around his broad shoulders to cling to his neck. Breaking off the kiss, he flicked his smoky heather gaze up to meet swirling green and blue and molten gold.

"There's only two things that suck about Izzy staying here," Levi hummed thoughtfully, watching as Eren furrowed his brows with concern. Before he got too clouded with worry, Levi brushed their lips together and whispered with a sinfully silky tone. "We can't fuck on the couch anymore, and we have to work hard to be quiet."

"Mm, those  _are_  unfortunate problems," Eren purred, drawing Levi flush against him as he pressed the shorter man's back against the counter. "I'm sure we can come up with creative solutions."

"You better get used to biting the pillow, brat. I won't go easy on you," the singer drawled, his tone lowering to velvet. Eren felt a shiver rush down his spine, arousal burning through his veins and reviving his little problem he'd gotten during dinner.

"I was thinking more of putting a ballgag between those pretty lips of yours, but I'm open to anything, babe." The shit-eating grin on the taller man's face shouldn't have been so fucking attractive, but fuck if Levi didn't want to bend himself over the counter for the man.

Levi dragged his teeth over Eren's jugular, relishing in the bobbing of his adam's apple and the vibration of a swallowed moan. He slipped his hand down daringly, sliding it straight into his counterpart's sweatpants to give his ass a firm palming. "Let's take this to the bedroom, shall we? I don't have the urge to be an exhibitionist tonight."

"Don't have to ask me twice," the brunet growled, hunger clear as day in his disparate gaze.

The two men tried to keep quiet during each round of fucking each other's brains out, but they didn't know how well they succeeded. Levi could consider it a job well done, because Hange hadn't busted their door down with a camera in hand to capture whatever she could get her hands on. After exhausting themselves, they collapsed onto the bed in a heap, tangling their limbs together and pressing close. Levi was in so fucking deep, he could drown if he wasn't careful. And he didn't give a flying fuck, it was all worth it in the end. Having Eren tucking him against his body was everything he could ever want for. He didn't know how he'd gotten so lucky, but he wasn't trying to look a gift horse in the mouth. He was just going to cherish this for all it was worth. Levi tightened his arms around Eren, closing his eyes, drifting off to the thought that this was exactly where he belonged, and he didn't want to ever leave.

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> And there we have it boys, girls, and nonbinary babes. Hopefully the angst was tolerable. I was thinking about, after all is said and done, doing a little spin-off story that focuses more on Isabel, so I didn't want to be too in depth about the happenings here. This story has seriously become my precious baby, I'm looking for ways to improve it or keep it alive in some way. BUT THAT DOESN'T MATTER RIGHT NOW.  
> Thoughts? Feelings? Did you enjoy the surprise smut? I honestly love dry-humping/frottage. Any time I read a story with it, I fucking lose my shit because it's hot. What do you think about Isabel turning up? What do you think that means for the future?  
> Please leave me comments! I read and respond to them all, they really make my day.  
> Until next time, all the love, Ritsy!
> 
> EDIT: I redrew a picture of Isabel that I fucked up and really wanted to include here so you all could see my vision.


	26. A Box of Memories

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> So... you remember when I said I had no self control? Yep. I wasn't shitting you. SO WE HAVE ANOTHER UPDATE BECAUSE I HAVE A PROBLEM. I just couldn't wait to get this chapter out. And I work weekends so. I didn't want to wait. ANYWAY. Here is another installment. I apologize for any errors, grammatical or otherwise. I really hope you enjoy this chapter. As much as you can. I hope you all feel very spoiled.

_**8 Months Ago** _

_**June** _

Time seemed to be flying by in a blur ever since Isabel had moved in with Eren. It had made his life a little more hectic for the time being, until everyone was able to settle in and get comfortable with their new surroundings and additions. With school being out, Izzy was often found lazing about the house, or wanting to go into work with Levi and Hange. Typically the musicians would invite her along on days they were composing songs, rather than recording the final versions of them, as it was much less stressful and they could fuck off if they wanted to. Farlan was over the moon any time they brought Isabel in; clearly, he was head over heels for the redhead. It was another reason they couldn't bring her on recording days, because the producer would be much too distracted by pretty green eyes and a wide smile to do his job. Eren felt lucky that Isabel had yet to pry into his relationship with Levi; he knew she had her suspicions and come to her own conclusions, but she wasn't ruffled by it in the least. In fact, she absolutely loved how often Levi and Hange were over at Eren's house. The two men were back to exclusively spending time with each other at Eren's, because the apartment he shared with Hange was too small for four people to crowd into, in Levi's opinion, and there was no way they were just going to leave her alone.

Isabel had made it very clear that she didn't want to go back to the Jaeger house, which Eren was very relieved about. He wanted her to stay with him, where he could keep her safe. She also was adamant about no longer attending church, and transferring out of the Christian school she was forced to attend. She wanted to spend her senior year free of any restraints, and no one could ever fault her for that. So like a good brother, Eren took his lunch early one day to travel to his parents' home. He made sure to get any and every little thing he thought he might need to successfully transfer his sister to Trost High School. Like he had suspected, his parents acted completely as if she had never existed. Grisha had all of her belongings removed from their house and stuck into a storage unit, and had even went so far as to hand the key over to Eren without prompting. Carla had already took down all of the family photographs that contained her, though if she'd merely hidden them or burned them, he didn't know.

It was while he was at his childhood home that he went up into the attic. He was searching for Isabel's birth records, because they hadn't been in his father's office filing cabinets. Eren absentmindedly searched through boxes, his nose stinging and beginning to run from the dust in the air. The lawyer sat down in an old rocking chair after dusting it off, digging through yet another stack of papers. A dingy old box drew his attention. It sat near the back of the attic, tucked behind old Christmas decorations and who knew what else. It was rather small and unassuming, but it was his name scrawled along the side in an oddly familiar handwriting that drew his attention. Setting the stack he'd been shuffling through to the side, Eren stood up and made his way over to the box. He carefully pried it out from beneath a precarious stack, and turned it every which way to get a good look at it. His fingers brushed the dust off of the top, and he studied the aged cardboard. It looked to be a shoe box, with a removable lid rather than flaps to close it.

Kneeling on the floor, with curiosity burning in his brain, Eren carefully sat the box down and pulled the lid away. The first thing he spotted was an envelope resting on top. His name was scrawled along it, and he picked it up, flipping it in his hands. The handwriting looked familiar, but he couldn't put his finger on why. The envelope was very clearly aged, having been in the attic for who knew how long, and the once-white paper was yellowed. He opened it and pulled out a single sheet of paper, folded into thirds. He unfolded it and flipped it right side up, only to suck in a sharp breath.

A shaking hand came up to press into his lips as he read over the letter, tears welling in his eyes and threatening to spill over. His heart clenched agonizingly in his chest, grief washing over him. He kept rereading the letter until he was dizzy from his shallow breathing and the dust flooding his lungs, until the words blurred together and tears spilled down his cheeks.

' _To my brother Eren,_

' _There are no words to properly convey how much I regret having to leave you, but know that I love you so dearly it pains me to pen this. You are so young, and you have been witness to so much pain and suffering, things that you should never have seen. I know that while you may not fully understand the extent of anguish that I am in, you are a bright young boy, and you have seen me at my worst. You understand the wrongness in our house, you understand that I am hurting. You have seen the monsters that lurk beneath our parents' skin. I am too weak to continue on, I can't spend another day like this. I can't even begin to explain just how much it hurts me to be made invisible and hated. There is no other way out for me, I fear. All I feel now is a numb acceptance and a yearning for the peace that this will bring me._

' _Ren, no matter what they do to you, what they've done to me, or whatever they may do to our unborn sister in the future, please remain strong. Promise me that you won't let them break you, as they have broken me. You are so very strong, Eren, I can see it in your eyes. You're so young, and yet you still try to protect me. I should have been protecting you, but I couldn't even protect myself. Do not let our parents tear you apart. You can and will survive it. They may beat you, they may curse your name or the day you were born, they may inflict every pain possible onto you that they can, and I do know how that feels. But don't be like me, Eren. You can escape them, you can save yourself and our sister. I believe in you, the way that you once believed in me. Please be strong for me, for her, and most importantly, for yourself. Don't let them take away the light behind your eyes. Don't let them shackle you and rob you of your freedom._

' _Remember that I love you, and that you were the best thing to ever happen in my life. I still remember the day you were born, and how I got to hold you. I swore to protect you on that day. I'm sorry that I failed you. Please tell our sister that I love her too, even though I never did get to meet her. Remember me, Eren, and never forget that despite our lot in life, love still found a way to us in the darkest of times, in a cold house ruled by the fists of God._

' _I'm sorry, I love you, please remain strong._

' _Zeke'_

This was Zeke's suicide note, he realised numbly. Everyone had thought that he simply hadn't left one, but he'd written it as a last goodbye to Eren. It had been hidden away for seventeen years, just waiting for the brunet to find it. Sniffling and stifling a sob, Eren carefully refolded the letter, slipping it back into the envelope. He set it aside, looking back into the box through watery eyes. Tears clung to his lashes as he used a handkerchief to clear them away from his cheeks. There, in the box hidden away just for him, were several photographs. Pictures of Zeke, of him and Eren, pictures of their family. Images he never thought he would get to see ever again. He traced the tip of his finger over the curve of his brother's face, a broken laugh fleeing his lips. The grief welling inside of him was still overwhelming, but there was a happiness mixing in with it. He wouldn't forget Zeke's face; he had pictures now. He had precious snippets of memories held between his palms. Physical representations of memory; reliable photographs that wouldn't muddle and fog up over time the way old memories faded inside of his brain.

A pair of glasses rested in the box, Zeke's spare set. He picked them up, cradling them carefully, gently. Zeke's high school year book, and an old brass key on a thin leather cord were the last two objects in the box. The key had been his brother's bedroom key, Eren distantly recalled. He clutched them all against his chest, his lips pressing together to muffle any sounds. It wasn't much, but to Eren, it was everything. He finally had something of his older brother's to remember him by. It was more than enough.

Blinking back the last of his tears, Eren sniffled softly, carefully placing everything back into the box before covering it with the lid. He couldn't leave this here. After a few more moments of silent mourning, Eren rose to his feet and got back to his original task. It didn't take him too much longer to find Izzy's birth and medical records, and once he'd secured them, he placed them into the file containing the rest of the paperwork he needed. Eren tucked the box and file beneath his arm and exited the attic. His father was nowhere to be seen, most likely in his office or having been called into the hospital, and he called a goodbye out to his mother, who was cooking dinner in the kitchen.

Eren was going to have to sit down with Isabel and tell her everything, he knew it couldn't be avoided any longer. She had just as much of a right to know of their older brother as Eren did. Zeke deserved to be remembered. He didn't know when he'd be able to do it, or when the right time was going to be, it just had to be soon. The brunet knew that as soon as she was aware of the past and everything that had happened, she wouldn't want anything to do with their parents, if she even still did. Isabel would finally understand just why Eren was the way he was. He glanced down at the box in his passenger seat as he backed out of the driveway, a mixture of emotions bursting from his heart. It was bittersweet, and terribly sad, and certainly grievous, but a smile still found its way onto his face. He was happy.

* * *

A week after his discovery in the attic, everything seemed to finally be settling around him. His home life was just about perfect; Levi and Eren either cooked together, or would take turns cooking. They'd even gone grocery shopping together, something that made the lawyer soar with happiness. Isabel was such a wonderful addition to his house. Her and Levi were as thick as thieves, and Eren was almost jealous of how well she'd taken to him. She'd even started calling the singer 'big bro', and nothing anyone could say made her budge. Hange loved Izzy so fucking much, it wasn't even funny. The two were always getting into mischief together, mostly at the expense of the two men. The brunette was even teaching the little redhead how to play different instruments. It was so clear how much Isabel looked up to Hange. They played off of each other's energy, and the chaos that brought made for a wild, but extremely fun time.

Eren was humming to himself, organizing the files in his office and reminiscing about his home with a smile on his lips, when a knock sounded at his door. He looked up, pausing in his ministrations with the tune dying on his tongue, and cleared his throat.

"Come in," he called, a grin splitting his face as soon as Armin stuck his head in.

"Hey Eren. I was wondering if you'd like to go out to lunch with me today?" The blond asks, pushing the door open a little more fully.

"Sure, just give me a second." Eren turned back to his files, sliding the last one into place, before standing up and striding over to the door. "Marco's?"

Armin raised a brow and cocked his head to the side. "Is that even a question?" The brunet snorted, shaking his head as he followed behind his best friend. "I'm driving, by the way."

"Fine by me," Eren hummed.

The drive was relatively short. It was only a five minute drive to  _Bodt's Diner,_  and soon Armin was pulling into a parking spot. The two men exited his car and walked up to the front entrance. Eren held the door open and ushered Armin in, following after him. Sasha greeted them excitedly, snatching up two menus and leading them to a booth in the back of the restaurant. Armin requested a glass of water, and Eren decided on coffee. When she left to get their drinks, they both scanned over the menu.

"Eren, I was wondering…" Armin started, resting his menu onto the table. "Is there anything you want to talk to me about?"

Eren tenses up, his fingers clenching tightly to the laminated menu. There was  _so much_  that he wanted to confide into Armin. He didn't know where to begin, or what to even say. He knew Armin wouldn't judge him, however he still had fear coiling low in his gut. What was too far? What would be too much? Was there a breaking point to his support? Eren swallowed hard. He didn't want to burden Armin; this was his cross to bear, so to speak. He made his choices and had to lie in the bed that he made. Really, he'd made the choices and damned the consequences. None of them could make any of this not worth it.

Wetting his lips and clearing his throat, Eren hid behind his menu. "What do you mean?" he asked carefully, his tone cautious.

"Well," the blond hummed, interlocking his fingers in front of his face. He mulled over how direct he wanted to be. It was better to do this as delicately as possible, he didn't want to push Eren too hard. "You've just been distant lately. And I know you've been really busy, what with Iz coming to live with you, but… It just seems like you're holding yourself back."

The conversation stalled as Sasha came back with their drinks. They both handed over their menus as they placed their orders. Eren decided on a BLT and a side of potato chips, while Armin selected the broccoli cheddar soup and a side salad. Armin patiently waited until Sasha was out of earshot before turning his undivided attention back onto Eren.

"Listen Eren, I'm not trying to twist your arm or anything. I just want you to know that I'm always here for you. There's nothing you could do or say to change that. I'll stand behind whatever you choose to do, no matter what." Armin rested his forearms along the table, flicking his eyes down to observe the ice in his glass. "You don't have to tell me anything you don't want to, just—remember that I'm here if you need to."

When Armin finished speaking, Eren leaned back in his seat. He rubbed the back of his neck as he thought over the blond's words carefully. Of course it was dumb of him to think that Armin's friendship could even have the possibility of being fickle. They'd been friends for such a long time, through all of the stupid shit that Eren had ever done, and he was still here. Armin had never done a single thing to make Eren even think that he'd ever betray his trust. Plus, he was  _dying_  to confide in him. There was so much he felt like he was unable to talk about. Maybe it was time to start letting others in.

"Okay," Eren mumbled, and Armin's head shot up, their eyes locking. He studied the baby blues staring back unflinchingly; they were full of warmth and concern. Taking a deep, shaky breath, Eren grips onto the edge of the table. Here goes nothing. "I met someone, and I-I um, I'm seeing him?"

Armin reaches out a hand, capturing one of Eren's and giving it a comforting squeeze. A soft smile plays on his lips, and the combination of the contact and the smile makes the brunet lose all tension. He returns it with a grin of his own.

"What I'm about to tell you, no one else can know. He might kick my ass if he finds out I told you," Eren chuckled, shaking his head and biting into his bottom lip.

"You have my word," Armin promised.

Sasha flounced up to their table, setting out their food, her stomach growling at the delectable aromas. "Here you guys go! Enjoy your meal!" She paused, clutching onto the tray in her arms. "Oh, and we really need to have a get together soon, I miss you dumb boys."

Rolling his eyes, Eren nodded his agreement as Armin laughed. "You bet, Sash. We'll do something soon."

Eren watched her trot away before turning to take a bite of his sandwich. He could eat and talk at the same time; he was fucking starving. "So, his name is Levi, and he's the lead singer of  _No Name_ ," the brunet announced bluntly, peeling a tomato off of his sandwich with a wrinkle of his nose. This one was overripe and mushy. Gross.

Armin nearly choked on his spoon and had to chug half of his water. He stared at Eren with saucers for eyes, his mouth hanging open. "He  _what?!"_

Smirking, Eren gave his best friend a knowing look. "Yeah, I'm not kidding. He gave me tickets and backstage passes to one of his concerts. I took Izzy and she almost died."

"You're seeing the frontman of  _No Name?_  Holy shit, Eren."

"You're telling me. So, we started as friends and things escalated from there. We aren't  _dating_ , per say. We haven't labeled anything. I know I'm supposed to marry Annie and all, but—I just wanted to do something for myself, y'know?" The brunet looks down at his plate, pushing his chips around. They're still hot, having just been pulled out of the hot oil they were fried in. Marco really knew how to make a damn good potato chip.

"You like him," Armin states matter-of-factly, making Eren flush tomato red and splutter. "Don't even try to deny it. Have you had sex?"

" _Armin,"_  Eren whines, hiding his face in his hands. Why the fuck was his best friend so damn embarrassing? "Yes, many times." He shoots a begrudging glare at the blond, who's looking the picture of innocence.

"Why not say fuck it and tell your parents that you're not interested in the life they want for you?" Hi best friend is looking at him with concern when a stricken expression overtakes him. The question of the century, that. He really couldn't avoid this subject, and he found that he honestly wanted Armin to know, so he could understand.

Eren looked down at his lap, clenching his fists together. "You remember Zeke?" He waited until Armin hummed an affirmative, and swallowed down the pained lump in his throat. "My brother—he was gay, or bisexual, I don't know. I just know he had a secret boyfriend. My mother caught them, and-and… My parents coerced him into going to a conversion therapy camp. They all but pulled the trigger themselves." That was all that he could bring himself to say, he really didn't want to delve into the details. Armin already knew that Zeke had committed suicide, he just didn't know why.

" _Christ,"_  Armin whispered, and Eren looked up. The blond looked utterly horrified, his eyes filled with sympathy and understanding. "I'm so sorry, Eren."

"Me too," he whispered, pressing his lips together. "But that's why. That's why I have such a hard time disobeying my parents."

"Do you… do you want to? I mean, do you want to obey them and marry Annie?" Armin's question was tentative, like he wasn't sure if he should ask or not.

This was a question that Eren hadn't even honestly admitted the answer to himself. But in light of recent events, of Isabel coming to live with him, of finding the box in the attic, he knew he already had his answer.

"To tell you the truth, I'm terrified of them. I was so fucking scared to defy them in any way, especially because Isabel—" he cuts himself off, sucking in a sharp breath between clenched teeth. "But she's with me now, and I can keep her safe. I can protect her. It… It's going to take me a while, to be strong enough, but I—I want to be with Levi. I don't want to marry Annie, or be stuck under their thumb forever. I don't have the courage yet… but I will." Eren brought his gaze up to meet Armin's, determination making his eyes swirl with a vibrant light. "I will have the courage to tell them to shove their wants up their own asses. I'll have the strength to stand in front of them and say that Levi is who I want to be with. And they won't be able to stop me."

Armin breaks out into a brilliant smile, exposing his pearly whites, and he leans across the table to punch Eren in the shoulder. "Damn right! I'm behind you every step of the way."

Eren's chest feels light, and he's got a fire burning through his veins. He meant every word of what he said. He wanted to be with Levi, he didn't want what they had to end. He wanted them to be  _more,_  for it to mean something. He wished that he could take the words he'd said on New Year's to the singer back, wished he could change them into  _'this means everything',_  but the past was the past, and he couldn't change it. All he could do was move forward, and show Levi the truth. He was nothing if not determined. He wanted a life with Levi, not with Annie. He could picture a future with the other man, and fuck, that was all he wanted. So he wasn't ready yet, and maybe he wouldn't be ready for a while. But he would be. He would grip onto what he wanted with every fiber of his being, and he wouldn't let go. One day, he'd be able to face his parents and proclaim proudly that he was with Levi. They wouldn't want him anymore, they would disown him, but he didn't care. He'd be better off.

He was broken out of his thoughts by Armin setting his spoon down into his bowl with a clink and clearing his throat. Eren gave him a questioning glance.

"So, since we're having a heart-to-heart…" He trailed off, his expression becoming sheepish. "I may have met Levi at The Wall when he came to get you. I wasn't about to let a stranger just kidnap you, so he gave me his number. He actually called me on your birthday to find out if I knew where you were, and then again when you were sick to let me know you weren't coming to work."

Shock made Eren jolt back, before a groan fled from his throat. "You evil little… So you knew?"

"Not necessarily. I had my suspicions, but when I questioned him, he all but bit my head off and told me I should talk to you." Armin laughed, shaking his head at the memory. "He really cares about you."

"Y-yeah," Eren hummed, his cheeks flushing brilliantly. "I care about him too."

"You're such a sap, Eren," Armin sighs, his tone teasing.

Eren finishes off his lunch, and just as he's about to get up and pay his bill, Armin makes a noise in the back of his throat. Alarm hits the brunet, but it shifts into curiosity as he takes in the blond's expression. He looks like he's just had an amazing idea; his eyes are lit up, a grin on his lips, and he's bouncing in his seat.

"What." There's no questioning inflection to the statement, only suspicion laden in his tone.

"I just had the best idea!" Armin gushes, leaning towards Eren. "You should introduce everyone to Levi. I bet they all want to meet the friend you've been ditching us for." That statement earned him a glare, but he brushed it off, and when Eren opened his mouth to argue, he cut him off before he could begin. "No, seriously. It'll be great! We can have a party, you can have Levi invite his friends, and you invite ours. It'll be really fun. Come on, Eren." The blond fluttered his lashes, pouting out his bottom lip.

"Has anyone ever told you that you're a devious fucking asshole?" Eren grumbled, standing to his feet.

"Only you." Armin chuckled to himself as he followed after Eren.

With a long-suffering sigh, the brunet shook his head. "…I'll think about it."

* * *

"Eren?"

Levi's velvet voice cuts through the lawyer like a knife, and he turns to glance over his shoulder at the shorter man. He's standing in the doorway to their bedroom, heather eyes observing him with concern. Eren looks back down at the box in his lap, and his fingers dig into its sides. When he doesn't verbally respond, the singer pads into the room, coming to stop by the bed. He carefully sits next to him, drawing his legs up to cross them, and cards a gentle hand through russet locks. He leans against Eren's side, brushing a soft kiss to his jaw.

Swallowing noisily, Eren finally finds his voice, but it's hoarse and low. "I have to tell Isabel." He shifts the box in his hold, drawing it to Levi's attention. "I found this, in the attic."

Eren hands the box over to Levi, and he watches as his counterpart handles it with care. He watches calloused hands remove the lid and carefully thumbs through the photographs. Levi studies the contents, his heart thundering in his chest. When he reads through the letter, his expression twists into one of pain, and he turns to nuzzle into Eren's neck. He murmurs softly, pressing featherlight kisses along his throat and jaw.

"That's Zeke," Eren whispers, pulling a photograph from the box.

"You have his eyes," the singer murmurs, turning his head back to look at the picture.

The brunet nods his agreement, a small smile ghosting over his lips. He sucks in a breath, leaning into the contact between them. "Will you come with me?"

"Of course,  _mon étoile._  Always."

Eren repacks the box before letting Levi pull him to his feet. Together, they walk down the hall and pause at the mouth. Isabel is sitting on the couch, head dangling over the edge with her legs thrown over the back. When she notices her brother and the singer, she leans up, resituating herself. Eren steels himself, calling on Levi's strength to help him get through, before he leads the way to the couch. He sits beside Izzy, and Levi joins him. Eren's hand seeks out the other man's, and they entwine their fingers.

With the unwavering support of Levi at his side, Eren begins telling Isabel all about their older brother. He doesn't spare too many details, only the ones he deems a bit to traumatic to share. Like the way Zeke's brain matter had splattered on the wall, or how dark the pool of blood looked, or how his eyes sunk in and dulled. She listened silently, letting her brother get everything off of his chest. He showed her the letter, let her read it, let her stare at the photographs and memorise the plains of Zeke's face. Eren told her all of the good, too, about how he was the best older brother in the world. How he taught him things their parents didn't, and took care of him. By the end of it all, when his throat ran dry, and his heart was full of bittersweet memories, Isabel held a grief of her own.

She would never get to know her oldest brother. Hell, she hadn't even known he'd existed until an hour ago. She fucking understood Eren now, understood so painfully. He had carried the burden all on his own, and that was so fucking unfair. If there was a hell, her parents were going to fucking burn there, she knew that without any doubts. Isabel set the box on the coffee table before turning to pull Eren into a tight hug. She was going to do everything in her power to help shoulder Eren's burden. He didn't deserve to be weighed down like this. He felt it was his duty to protect her, well, she felt the same way about him. She was going to fucking shield him from their parents, in any way she could. Fuck them, fuck them and everything they stood for. She mourned the loss of her oldest brother, grieved over the fact that any sort of relationship she could have had with him was stolen away.

The past couldn't be changed, but Isabel would be damned if the future was a repeat.  _This_  was her family, not Carla and Grisha. Eren, Levi, Hange, and every single one of their friends. Blood didn't equate to shit. This was her precious family, and there was no fucking way that she was going to let monsters like Carla and Grisha tear it apart.

That night, the three of them camped out in the living room. Hange joined them shortly after they'd settled in, and they all pressed close together. Levi leeched onto Eren like he'd die if he didn't, their legs tangling together, his hands clenching into his shirt. The brunet had his arms snaked around the singer's waist, pulling him in as close as he could get. Hange was all sprawled out, taking up the most room, and Isabel had somehow managed to turn herself around in her sleep so that her feet were on her pillow, and her head was at the other end of the nest. It was so comforting for all of them to be surrounded by their family.

"I want you to meet my friends," Eren whispered into the quiet, trying not to disturb the two sleeping women.

Levi shifted his head, turning to gaze up through the dark at the lawyer. He'd been listening to his beating heart in the hopes of being lulled to sleep, so when he'd spoken, the words reverberated in his ear. "Yeah?" The question was soft, unsure, and his fingers gripped tighter onto the fabric held between them.

"Yeah," he hummed, pressing a kiss to Levi's forehead.

Pulse quickening and heart fluttering against his sternum, Levi hid a secret smile in Eren's chest. "Okay." Quickly, he brought his head out from its resting place and searched out Eren's lips with his own. They met in the middle, the searing kiss a promise. Unable to help himself, the brunet deepened the kiss, and Levi had to swallow a moan.

He grunted when Hange's foot thwacked him in the middle of his back, knocking the wind out of him. "You'd better not be planning to fuck with us right here," she slurred out, her sleepy eyes cracking open slightly.

Levi hissed expletives under his breath once he could breathe again, and he twisted in Eren's hold to smack the woman in the face with a pillow. Eren just chuckled quietly, shaking his head with a happy smile on his lips. This truly was everything he could have ever wanted.

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> SURPRISE ANGST. Not as fun as surprise smut. ALSO. BITCH. BITCH YOU THOUGHT. You thought that the thing with Izzy would make Eren struggle even more right? BITCH. LOOK AT THAT CHARACTER DEVELOPMENT. MY PRECIOUS BOY. I could die. THE TIDES ARE CHANGING, MOTHERFUCKER. I'm so sorry for all the angst in this chapter, but well. It was necessary. AND next chapter there won't be angst! It's going to be a fucking blast to write. Are we ready for the explosion of Levi's friends and Eren's friends coming together? Armin is such a good boy. So pure.
> 
> Please feed me your thoughts! Tell me I got you! I love reading and responding to your guys' comments. I have the best readers. What did you think about the box? Or Armin? OR EREN'S CHARACTER DEVELOPMENT. I want to know it all!
> 
> Thank you guys for all the support and encouragement, honestly, I love you all to bits and this would take me so much longer to write without it. ALL THE LOVE, until next time, Ritsy.


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